The United States flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 had 15 stars.
The flag was made after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union, bringing the number of states to 15. A 1795 law changed the national flag to 15 stars and 15 stripes, with one symbol for each state. The flag measured about 30 by 42 feet and was made by Baltimore flagmaker Mary Pickersgill, assisted by workers including Grace Wisher.
Francis Scott Key saw the flag after the British bombardment during the Battle of Baltimore. His poem about the sight later became the lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The surviving flag is now held by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Congress changed the design again in 1818. From then on, the flag kept 13 stripes for the original colonies while adding a star for each new state. That is why today's 50-star flag does not have 50 stripes.