The current flag of the United States has 13 horizontal stripes, alternating red and white.
The stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that declared independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution. The design also includes a blue canton containing stars for the states in the Union.
The number of stripes has remained 13 even as the number of states increased. In 1795, the flag briefly had 15 stripes after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union. Congress restored the stripe count to 13 in 1818 so the design would continue honoring the original colonies.
The present flag has 50 stars, one for each state. This means the stripes and stars carry different historical meanings: the stripes look back to the founding colonies, while the stars represent the modern Union.