The first official U.S. flag had 13 stars. The Continental Congress adopted the Flag Resolution on June 14, 1777, specifying thirteen white stars on a blue field to represent the thirteen states of the new union.
The resolution also described thirteen alternating red and white stripes. It did not specify the stars’ arrangement, so early flags used several layouts, including circular and linear patterns.
The thirteen stars and stripes connected the flag to the original thirteen states. As new states joined, Congress added stars, while the number of stripes was eventually fixed at thirteen to honor the original union.
The 1777 flag should not be confused with the Betsy Ross story, which became popular later but is not supported by conclusive contemporary evidence. The number of original stars is established by the Flag Resolution itself.