Walk into any hardware store or local parade in a small American town, and you’re going to see it. It’s the American flag with circle stars, that iconic thirteen-star design often attributed to Betsy Ross. Most people look at it and feel a sense of cozy, colonial nostalgia. It’s the flag of the Revolution, right? Well, honestly, the history is a lot messier than your third-grade textbook let on.
History isn't a straight line. It's a bunch of tangled threads.
When we talk about the American flag with circle stars, we are usually talking about a specific arrangement: thirteen five-pointed stars in a perfect ring. You’ve seen it on the side of historic homes and maybe a few bumper stickers. But if you actually dig into the records of the Continental Congress or the journals of 18th-century flag makers, you start to realize that the "circle" wasn't even a requirement. The Flag Act of 1777 was incredibly vague. It just said there should be thirteen stars, "representing a new constellation." It didn't say they had to be in a circle. They could have been a square, a random cluster, or a giant "X."
The Legend of Betsy Ross and the Circular Design
Let’s get the big one out of the way. Did Betsy Ross actually sew the first American flag with circle stars? Probably not.
Most historians, including experts from the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History, agree there is zero contemporary evidence from 1776 to prove Betsy Ross met with George Washington to design the flag. The story didn't even surface until 1870. That was nearly a century later! Her grandson, William Canby, presented a paper to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania claiming his grandmother told him the story.
It’s a great story. People love a hero. But in terms of hard data? We've got nothing.
What we do know is that Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a creative guy from New Jersey, actually sent a bill to Congress for designing the "Flag of the United States." He wanted to be paid in a "quarter cask of the public wine." Congress didn't pay him, mostly because they argued he wasn't the only person who worked on it. But Hopkinson’s design likely used a staggered grid of stars, not a circle.
So why the circle? It looks good. It represents equality. No state is "above" another when you’re in a ring. That symbolism is powerful, and it’s why the American flag with circle stars became the de facto symbol of the Bicentennial in 1976. That’s when the design really exploded in popularity again.
Variations That Would Make a Modern Vexillologist Cringe
Back in the late 1700s, there was no "Flag Code." There was no government agency checking to make sure your stars were pointed the right way.
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If you were a sea captain in 1779, you needed a flag. You’d hire a local seamstress or have a crew member cobble one together. Sometimes the stars had six points because they were easier to cut. Sometimes they had eight. Some people put the stars in a circle, but they’d put one extra star in the middle. Others liked the "3-2-3-2-3" staggered rows.
The Cowpens flag is a famous example. It’s an American flag with circle stars—twelve of them in the ring—with one lone star in the center. Legend says it was carried at the Battle of Cowpens, though many textile experts now believe that specific surviving flag was actually made closer to the 1840s for anniversary celebrations.
It’s kind of wild how much we’ve standardized things now. Today, if a star is one degree off, people lose their minds. Back then? It was just about being recognized from a distance so the British wouldn't shoot at you.
Why This Specific Flag Became a Modern Flashpoint
It’s weird how a piece of fabric from the 1700s can cause a Twitter meltdown in the 2020s.
A few years ago, Nike was going to release a shoe featuring the American flag with circle stars. Then, Colin Kaepernick reportedly reached out and suggested that the flag had been co-opted by groups associated with slavery and white supremacy because it represents an era when those things were legal. Nike pulled the shoe.
The internet exploded.
On one side, you had people saying, "It’s a historic flag, leave it alone." On the other, you had folks pointing out that extremist groups do sometimes use colonial-era imagery to signal a "return" to a time before civil rights. Both things can be true at once. A symbol can have a beautiful original meaning and still be hijacked by people with a different agenda.
But for the vast majority of Americans, the American flag with circle stars is just "the old flag." It’s the one from the paintings of Valley Forge. It’s the one that flew when the country was just a scrappy underdog trying to survive.
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How to Spot a "Real" Historical Flag vs. a Cheap Knockoff
If you're looking to buy one of these for your porch, you've gotta be careful if you care about "accuracy" (even though accuracy is a bit of a moving target).
Most cheap versions you buy online are printed on polyester. They look shiny and fake. If you want that authentic feel, you’re looking for cotton bunting or wool. And check the stars. On a high-quality American flag with circle stars, those stars should be embroidered or "appliquéd" (sewn on), not just screen-printed.
Look at the orientation of the stars too. In the "official" Betsy Ross reproductions, the stars usually point outward from the center of the circle. It looks like a sunburst. Some variations have all the stars pointing "up," which actually looks a bit weird when you see it in a circle.
- Check the material. Cotton is king for aesthetics, but it rots if you leave it in the rain.
- Look at the star points. Five points is the standard "Ross" style.
- Observe the blue field (the canton). It should rest on a white stripe, not a red one, if it follows the traditional 13-stripe layout ending on red.
The Technical Stuff: Ratios and Rows
The modern U.S. flag has very strict proportions. $Hoist = 1.0$, $Fly = 1.9$. But with the American flag with circle stars, those rules often go out the window because it’s considered a "historical" or "specialty" flag.
Often, you’ll see these flags in a 3x5 foot or 4x6 foot ratio. This makes them look a bit "stubbier" than the current 50-star flag. It’s actually quite charming. It fits better on a standard residential flag pole.
Interestingly, the "circle" isn't always a perfect circle. Depending on the size of the blue canton, sometimes the stars are arranged in an oval to better fill the space. If you’re a purist, you want the circle to be centered and the stars to be evenly spaced. Mathematics was a bit tougher for folks in 1777 without calculators, so many original flags have slightly "wonky" star placement. Honestly, that's part of the soul of the thing.
What Most People Get Wrong About 13 Stars
People think 13 stars means 1776.
The flag didn't get its 13 stars until June 14, 1777. That’s why we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th. Before that, the "Grand Union Flag" was the go-to. It had the British Union Jack in the corner! Imagine flying that today. People would be so confused.
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Another misconception: the American flag with circle stars was the only flag used in the Revolution. Nope. There were dozens. The Gadsden flag ("Don't Tread on Me"), the Pine Tree flag, and various regimental flags were all over the place. The 13-star circle was just one of many designs floating around until the mid-19th century when we finally decided to get organized about our national branding.
How to Display the Circle Star Flag Today
If you're going to fly it, do it right.
Even though it’s a historic design, the U.S. Flag Code still applies. You shouldn't let it touch the ground. You should illuminate it at night if it’s staying up. And if you’re flying it next to a modern 50-star flag, the 50-star flag should generally be in the position of honor (to its own right, or the observer's left).
Some people ask if it’s "disrespectful" to fly an old flag. Not at all. It’s a recognized Ensign of the United States. It’s perfectly legal and encouraged as a way to honor the country's origins. Just don't be that person who leaves a tattered, gray, sun-bleached flag hanging off their gutter for three years. That’s the real disrespect.
Actionable Steps for the History Buff
If you’re genuinely interested in the American flag with circle stars, don't just take a Wikipedia entry at face value.
- Visit the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. Even if the legend is shaky, the house is a masterclass in 18th-century upholstery and flag-making techniques. You can see how they actually cut those stars with one snip of the scissors.
- Read "Flag: An American Biography" by Marc Leepson. It’s probably the best book out there that separates the myths from the actual documented history.
- Check out the Museum of the American Revolution. They have a rotating collection of actual surviving "Type VII" and "Type VIII" flags that look nothing like what you see in the movies.
- Buy American-made. If you’re purchasing a 13-star flag, look for manufacturers like Annin or Valley Forge Flag Company. They’ve been around forever and actually understand the history of the textiles they’re using.
The American flag with circle stars isn't just a pattern. It’s a snapshot of a time when a group of people were trying to figure out who they were. They didn't have a style guide. They just had a vague idea of a "new constellation" and a lot of hope. Whether Betsy Ross sat in that chair or not doesn't really change the fact that the circle remains one of the most balanced and beautiful designs in the history of vexillology.
If you decide to hang one up, you’re not just decorating. You’re keeping a very loud, very complicated, and very human story alive. Just be ready to explain the Francis Hopkinson wine-payment story when your neighbors ask about it. It's a much better conversation starter than the stuff about the scissors.