The United States flag adopted by Congress in 1777 had 13 stars.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution. It specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The stars represented the thirteen states that had declared independence from Great Britain and formed the new Union.
The resolution described the stars as representing “a new constellation.” It did not specify how the stars should be arranged, so early flags used several patterns, including circles, rows, and other formations. The design evolved as new states joined the country.
The stripes remained at thirteen even after additional states were admitted. Congress briefly increased the number of stripes to fifteen in 1795, but the Flag Act of 1818 restored the thirteen-stripe arrangement and reserved new additions for the stars. The current flag has 50 stars, after Hawaii became a state in 1959; that version was first officially used on July 4, 1960.