For America250, which 1777 document became the first U.S. national flag law?

For America250, the Flag Resolution of 1777 became the first U.S. national flag law.

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that the flag of the United States should have thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The thirteen represented the original states, while the stars symbolized a new constellation.

The resolution did not specify the exact arrangement of the stars, their shape, or the proportions of the flag. Consequently, early flags varied in appearance. The familiar Betsy Ross story, which credits a Philadelphia upholsterer with creating the first flag, is not supported by firm contemporary evidence, and the resolution itself does not name a designer.

Congress later changed the flag as new states joined the Union. The Flag Act of 1818 established the lasting rule that stripes would return to thirteen while stars would increase with each new state. The 1777 resolution is remembered each June 14, the same date associated with the U.S. Army birthday.