Flag of the United States of America | U.S. flag
nationalflagconsistingofwhitestars(50sinceJuly4,1960)onabluecantonwithafieldof13alternatingstripes,7redand6white.The50starsstandforthe50statesoftheunion,andthe13stripesstandfortheoriginal13states.Theflag’swidth-to-lengthratiois10to19.AftertheAmericanRevolution[1]began,thefirst,unofficialnationalflag—knownastheContinentalColours(or,sometimes,astheGrandUnionFlag,theCambridgeFlag,theSomervilleFlag,ortheUnionFlag)—washoistedonatowering76-foot(23-metre)libertypoleatProspectHillinCharlestown(nowin...
national flag consisting of white stars (50 since July 4, 1960) on a blue canton with a field of 13 alternating stripes, 7 red and 6 white. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states of the union, and the 13 stripes stand for the original 13 states. The flag’s width-to-length ratio is 10 to 19.After the American Revolution[1] began, the first, unofficial national flag—known as the Continental Colours (or, sometimes, as the Grand Union Flag, the Cambridge Flag, the Somerville Flag, or the Union Flag)—was hoisted on a towering 76-foot (23-metre) liberty pole at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (now in Somerville[2]), Massachusetts, on January 1, 1776; it was raised at the behest of Gen. George Washington[3], whose headquarters were nearby. The flag had 13 horizontal stripes (probably of red and white or of red, white, and blue) and, in the canton, the first version of the British Union Flag (Union Jack[4]). As the flag of the Continental Army, it flew at forts and on nav...