How many stars and stripes did the Flag Act of 1777 specify for the first official U.S. flag?

The Flag Act of 1777 specified 13 stars and 13 stripes for the first official U.S. flag.

The act called for thirteen alternating red and white horizontal stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The number represented the original thirteen states, which had declared independence from Great Britain and formed the new union.

The act did not specify the stars’ exact arrangement, so early flags could differ in appearance. The familiar Betsy Ross design, with stars arranged in a circle, is traditionally attributed to Ross, but historians debate that attribution. The flag later gained additional stars as new states joined the Union.