On the U.S. flag, what do the 13 stripes represent?

The 13 stripes on the U.S. flag represent the original thirteen colonies.

The flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes, arranged horizontally. Together, the thirteen stripes symbolize the colonies that declared independence from Great Britain and formed the original United States. The number has remained fixed even as the nation expanded from thirteen states to fifty.

The blue canton contains stars representing the current states. The flag originally had thirteen stars as well, but Congress added stars as new states joined the Union. The Star-Spangled Banner of 1814 had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, reflecting the admission of Vermont and Kentucky. In 1818, Congress restored the permanent thirteen-stripe design while continuing to add one star for each new state. The modern flag has fifty stars and thirteen stripes.