How many stars and stripes appeared on the original United States flag under the 1795 Flag Act?
Answer
15 stars and 15 stripes
The original United States flag under the 1795 Flag Act had 15 stars and 15 stripes.
The first national flag resolution, adopted in 1777, specified 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars for the original states. As new states joined the Union, Congress decided in 1794 that both stars and stripes should increase to 15.
The 15-star, 15-stripe flag became official on May 1, 1795, after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union. It was the flag later associated with the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Congress changed the design again in 1818. The number of stripes returned permanently to 13, representing the original colonies, while one star was added for each state. This is why the current flag can have many stars but only 13 stripes.