The 13 stripes on the U.S. flag represent the thirteen original colonies associated with the nation’s founding, a symbol central to America250.
The stripes alternate red and white. The Flag Resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, specified thirteen stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The design represented the thirteen United States that had declared independence from Great Britain.
The number of stripes was later reduced to 13 permanently. In 1795, Congress temporarily increased both stars and stripes to 15 after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union. The Flag Act of 1818 restored 13 stripes while establishing that new states would receive new stars.
Today’s flag has 50 stars for the 50 states but still has 13 stripes. That distinction matters during America250: the stripes recall the original revolutionary-era union, while the stars reflect the country’s later growth.