THE united states flag It is one of the most famous in the world and many wonder what its origin is and why it has white and red stripes as well as stars.
The origin of the United States flag remains somewhat unclear, as it is officially unknown how it came to be. However, some historians believe that the American flag was designed by New Jersey Congressman Francis Hopkinson and that it was sewn by Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress.
But how many stars and stripes are in the American flag and what do they mean? Well, below we will give you some details that you will surely find interesting.
How many stars does the United States flag have?
The current flag has remained unchanged since 1959, when the state of Hawaii was incorporated. Since then, the The number of stars on the American flag is 50.one for each state. A total of 50 white stars on a blue background. The person who designed the current flag was Robert G. Heft in 1958. Most surprising of all is that he was 17 years old at the time and created this design as a school project. The design was later carried over into Title 4 of the U.S. Code.
Evolution of the United States flag
The North American country’s first flag was created on January 2, 1776 and remained in force until June 14, 1477. It did not feature any stars. On June 14, 1777, the new flag was born, which included 13 stars for the following states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.
Since then, each time a new state is annexed, the number of stars is changed to reach 50 currently. In the 20th century, the last four states entered: Arizona and New Mexico in 1912 and Alaska and Hawaii in 1959.
On the meaning of colors, according to the 1782 Seal of the United States, “white symbolizes purity and innocence, blood red and courage, and blue the sky, perseverance and justice”. In 1787, the bald eagle It has become the official emblem of the United States because it represents beauty, strength and freedom.
Curiosities about the United States flag
It is particularly interesting to know that the United States flag has inspired others. The most similar is that of Liberiaan African country founded by the United States to accommodate freed African-American slaves. The flag of Malaysia is also very similar, although when it was created the intention was to imitate that of the East India Company.
As established by the Federal lawsthe national flag cannot be used for advertising purposes or placed as a decorative element on disposable products. As for clothing, it is only authorized in the uniforms of state personnel.