The Flag Resolution established the original stars-and-stripes design later linked with America250.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the Flag Resolution on June 14, 1777. It specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field, representing the thirteen states. The resolution described the stars as forming a new constellation.
The flag’s design changed as new states entered the Union. Congress added stars for new states, while the number of stripes was eventually fixed at thirteen to represent the original colonies. The modern flag has 50 stars and 13 stripes, although the exact arrangement of stars has changed over time.
Flag Day is observed annually on June 14, the anniversary of the resolution. The resolution came nearly a year after the Declaration of Independence, so the flag is connected to the America250 era but was not created on July 4, 1776. Betsy Ross is associated with a popular flag story, but the historical evidence for her making the first flag is disputed.