Under the Flag Act of 1777, the first official U.S. flag had 13 stars.
The Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14, 1777, specifying 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a blue field. The 13 stars represented the 13 states or former colonies in the new union.
The law did not specify the stars’ exact arrangement or number of points. Later flags used different layouts, including rows and circles, while the number remained tied to the original states until new states joined the Union.
The design is popularly called the Betsy Ross flag, but historians do not consider it proven that Betsy Ross designed the first national flag. Evidence does show that Ross made flags for the Pennsylvania Navy during the Revolutionary War.