How many stars and stripes appeared on the original Star-Spangled Banner flag from 1814?

The original Star-Spangled Banner flag from 1814 had 15 stars and 15 stripes.

The enormous garrison flag flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key saw it still flying after the British bombardment and wrote the poem that became the lyrics of the United States national anthem.

The additional two stars and stripes represented Vermont and Kentucky, which had joined the Union. Congress had temporarily increased both the star and stripe counts under the Flag Act of 1794.

Later flag legislation established the enduring system of adding stars for new states while keeping the stripes at thirteen for the original colonies. The surviving flag is displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and is significantly smaller than it was originally because pieces were removed as souvenirs.