Under the original 1777 flag design, how many stars and stripes represented the colonies celebrated by America250?

Under the original 1777 flag design, 13 stars and 13 stripes represented the colonies celebrated by America250.

The Flag Resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The design represented the thirteen states that had declared independence from Great Britain.

The flag changed as the country expanded. In 1795, Congress temporarily increased both the stars and stripes to fifteen after Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union. In 1818, the number of stripes returned to thirteen, while new stars continued to be added for new states.

The current flag has thirteen stripes and fifty stars. The fifty-star design became official in 1960 after Hawaii joined the Union. Thus, the stripes preserve the original thirteen-colony symbolism even though the number of states has grown substantially.