The Continental Congress adopted the first Stars and Stripes design in 1777.
On June 14, 1777, Congress passed the Flag Resolution specifying thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The stars represented a “new constellation,” reflecting the union of the thirteen states.
The resolution established the basic national design but did not specify the stars’ arrangement, number of points, or exact stripe order. Those details varied in early flags, unlike the standardized appearance familiar today.
The flag used in 1777 was not the current fifty-star flag. Vermont and Kentucky later increased the number of stars and stripes to fifteen, while the number of stripes returned to thirteen in 1818. The stars continued increasing as states joined.