Old Glory -- Born of the need for a more practical
design to accommodate new states entering the Union.
On April 4, 1818, Congress established the number of
stripes at seven red and six white, and provided for the
addition of one star for each new state.
flag has been in use since July 4, 1960.
On this page are the 27 legal US flags flown throughout our
history. By law, a star is added to the US flag on the
4th of July following admission to the Union.
Contrary to popular belief, the first official US Flag
was not the Betsy Ross Flag but the staggered star pattern shown above.
It is important to note that no US Flag ever becomes obsolete.
Each flag shown below is still a legal flag
and may be flown at anytime.
Each one of these flags is constructed of
SolarMax Nylon, Stars are appliqued and the
Stripes are sewn.
States admission to the Union are listed
in the individual flag pages.