The Continental Congress adopted the first Flag Resolution of the United States on June 14, 1777.
The resolution specified that the flag should have thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The stars represented a “new constellation,” linking the design to the thirteen states then in the Union.
The resolution did not prescribe the stars’ exact arrangement, their number of points, or the direction of the stripes. Early flag makers therefore produced several different versions. The familiar circular arrangement associated with the Betsy Ross flag is a later traditional design, not a complete specification contained in the 1777 resolution.
June 14 is now observed as Flag Day in the United States. The flag later changed as new states entered the Union. The current 50-star design was adopted in 1960 after Hawaii joined the United States.