You see it everywhere. It's on porches in small-town Ohio, stitched into the shoulders of astronauts, and flapping over used car lots. But when you actually stop and ask what is the United States flag, you realize it’s a living document of sorts. It isn't just a piece of nylon or cotton. It’s a design that has changed twenty-seven times since the 1770s. That’s a lot of redesigns for a national brand.
Think about it.
Most countries pick a flag and stick with it for centuries. The U.S. just kept adding stars like they were collecting stamps. It’s actually kind of chaotic when you look at the timeline.
The Basic Anatomy of the American Flag
At its simplest level, the flag is a mathematical grid. You have thirteen horizontal stripes. Seven are red, six are white. They alternate. This isn't just because it looks "bold" or "patriotic." Those stripes represent the original thirteen colonies—the ones that decided they’d had enough of British taxes and tea.
Then you have the union. That’s the blue rectangle in the top left corner, technically called the canton. Inside that blue field, you’ve got 50 white, five-pointed stars. Each star represents a state. It’s a pretty literal map of the country’s growth. If we ever add a 51st state—say, Puerto Rico or D.C.—the flag will change again. There are already designs sitting in a drawer at the Pentagon or the Institute of Heraldry ready to go.
Interestingly, the colors weren't actually given official meanings in 1777. That came later. When the Great Seal of the United States was being designed, Charles Thomson, the Secretary of the Continental Congress, explained that red stands for hardiness and valor, white for purity and innocence, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Honestly, it sounds a bit like a corporate mission statement, but it stuck.
The Betsy Ross Myth and What Really Happened
We’ve all heard the story. George Washington walks into a upholstery shop, shows a sketch to Betsy Ross, and she sews the first flag. It’s a great story. It makes for a wonderful painting.
It’s almost certainly not true.
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There is zero documentary evidence from 1776 or 1777 that Betsy Ross designed or even made the first flag. The story didn't even surface until her grandson, William Canby, gave a speech to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870. That’s nearly a century later.
So, who did it? Most historians, including experts at the Smithsonian, point toward Francis Hopkinson. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a designer. We actually have records of him sending a bill to Congress asking to be paid in a "quarter cask of public wine" for designing the "Flag of the United States of America." Congress turned him down, claiming he wasn't the only person who worked on it. Classic government move.
Why the Design Keeps Shifting
The original Flag Act of 1777 was incredibly vague. It said the flag should have thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, and the union should be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, "representing a new constellation."
It didn't say how the stars should be arranged.
Because of this, early American flags were a total mess. Some had stars in a circle (the "Betsy Ross" style). Some had them in rows. Some had one giant star made out of smaller stars. It wasn't until 1912, when President Taft signed an executive order, that the proportions and the horizontal rows became the law of the land. Before that, you could basically get creative with it as long as the colors were right.
The Star-Spangled Growth
- 1777: The original 13-star flag.
- 1795: They added two stars and two stripes for Vermont and Kentucky. This is the flag Francis Scott Key saw over Fort McHenry. It actually had 15 stripes!
- 1818: Congress realized they couldn't keep adding stripes or the flag would look like a pinstripe suit. They went back to 13 stripes and decided only stars would be added for new states.
- 1960: The current 50-star version was adopted after Hawaii became a state.
Flag Code: The Rules Nobody Follows
There is a literal federal law called the U.S. Flag Code. It’s a set of guidelines for how to treat the flag. Most people break these rules every single day, especially on the Fourth of July.
For instance, the flag should never be used as "wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery." That means those American flag bikinis or the napkins you use to wipe barbecue sauce off your face? Technically, they're against the code. However, the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. Johnson (1989) that flag desecration is protected speech under the First Amendment. So, the Flag Code is more of a "polite suggestion" than something the police will come after you for.
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Another weird rule: the flag should never touch the ground. People think you have to burn the flag if it touches the dirt. That’s a myth. If it gets dirty, you can just wash it or dry-clean it. You only burn it (ceremoniously) when it’s so worn out it can no longer serve as a symbol.
The "Reverse" Flag on Uniforms
You might have noticed soldiers wearing the flag on their right shoulder, but it looks "backward." The stars are on the right side instead of the left.
This isn't a mistake.
It's meant to look like the flag is flying in the wind as the person moves forward. If the stars were on the left, it would look like the flag was retreating. In the military, "assaulting forward" is the mindset, so the blue field (the union) always faces the front. It’s a small detail, but it’s one of those things that once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
The 50-Star Design Was a High School Project
Here’s a bit of trivia that’s actually true: the current 50-star flag was designed by a 17-year-old boy named Robert Heft for a class project in 1958.
At the time, there were only 48 states. Heft anticipated that Alaska and Hawaii would join the union. He spent 12.5 hours at his mom’s sewing machine, rearranging the stars into a staggered pattern.
His teacher gave him a B-minus.
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The teacher told him the grade would only be changed if he could get Congress to accept the design. Heft sent the flag to his congressman, and eventually, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called him to say his design had been chosen. His teacher promptly changed the grade to an A.
What the Flag Represents Today
The meaning of the flag isn't static. For some, it’s a symbol of military sacrifice. For others, it’s a symbol of protest. It’s been planted on the moon—where, fun fact, the radiation has likely bleached them all white by now—and it’s been lowered to half-staff during national tragedies.
It’s a "living" symbol because it changes as the country changes. It’s one of the few national symbols that is designed to be updated. It’s built-in modularity.
Practical Insights for Handling the Flag
If you’re going to fly a flag at your house or business, there are a few things to keep in mind to do it "right" according to tradition:
- Illumination: If you leave it out at night, it really should have a light on it. If you can't light it, take it down at sunset.
- The Half-Staff Rule: This is for mourning. You don't just hoist it halfway up. You're supposed to hoist it to the very peak for a moment, and then lower it to the halfway point. When you take it down, you hoist it to the peak again before lowering it all the way.
- Weathering: Most flags today are nylon, but they still shred in high winds. If the ends start to fray, it’s time to retire it. Many American Legion posts or Scout troops have drop-boxes for old flags to be disposed of properly.
- Vertical Display: If you’re hanging the flag vertically against a wall, the blue union should be at the top and to the observer’s left (your left when looking at it). This is the most common mistake people make.
The U.S. flag is a weird, evolving, complicated piece of design. It’s survived civil wars, world wars, and 27 different configurations. Whether you see it as a sacred object or a historical artifact, knowing the "why" behind the stripes and stars changes how you see it when you’re driving down the street.
Next Steps for Flag Care and Etiquette
If you have an old flag that's seen better days, don't just toss it in the trash. Look up your local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) or American Legion post. They usually hold annual "flag retirement" ceremonies, typically on Flag Day (June 14th), where they incinerate the flags with dignity. If you're looking to buy a new one, check the label to ensure it’s "Made in the USA"—believe it or not, a huge percentage of American flags are imported, and for many, buying domestic is a key part of the tradition. Finally, if you're mounting a flagpole on your house, ensure it's at an angle that prevents the flag from bunching up against the siding, which leads to premature tearing.