The official flag of the United States was established on June 14, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Flag Resolution defining the design as thirteen red and white stripes and a union of thirteen white stars on a blue field.
Key points to understand:
- The June 14, 1777 act is the foundational legal moment for the flag’s official status.
- The designer of the flag is commonly believed to be Francis Hopkinson, though the precise star arrangement patterns varied in early versions, and the “Betsy Ross” story is not substantiated by definitive evidence.
- Flag Day in the United States commemorates this adoption date and was later recognized by President Truman on June 14, 1949.
- The current 50-star flag (representing all states) was adopted in July 1960 after Hawaii’s statehood.
If you’d like, I can pull up primary sources or summarize how the design evolved in the early years versus the modern flag.
