Flag of the United States

United States of America
Flag of the United States of America
Other namesThe American flag,
UseNational flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Proportion10:19
Adopted
  • December 3, 1775 (1775-12-03)
    (Grand Union Flag)
  • June 14, 1777 (1777-06-14)
    (13-star version)
  • July 4, 1960 (1960-07-04)
    (current 50-star version)
DesignThirteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white; in the canton, 50 white stars of alternating numbers of six and five per horizontal row on a blue field
Pantone

The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton, referred to as the union and bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from Great Britain, which they obtained in their victory in the American Revolutionary War.[1]

Credit for the term "Stars and Stripes" has been given to the Marquis de Lafayette, a French soldier who volunteered his aid to the Continental Army, led by George Washington, in the Revolutionary War against Britain.[2]

Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes,[3] Old Glory, and The Star-Spangled Banner.

  1. ^ Warner, John (1998). "Senate Concurrent Resolution 61" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  2. ^ "USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America – "OLD GLORY!"". www.usflag.org. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  3. ^ "History of the American Flag". www.infoplease.com. Retrieved December 13, 2015.