Which body adopted the resolution that established the first official U.S. flag?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the resolution that established the first official U.S. flag.

On June 14, 1777, Congress passed the Flag Resolution. It specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field, representing the thirteen states. The resolution did not prescribe the later familiar arrangement of stars in rows.

The flag’s design developed from earlier symbols used during the Revolution, including the Continental Colors, which featured thirteen stripes and a British Union flag. The new design replaced the Union with stars to represent the emerging nation. June 14 is commemorated annually in the United States as Flag Day.

The story is often simplified into the legend that Betsy Ross designed the entire flag. There is no conclusive evidence that she created the first official design, although she was a Philadelphia upholsterer associated with flag-making traditions. The 1777 resolution, rather than a single designer’s confirmed blueprint, is the legal foundation for the national flag.