Evolution of Old Glory

Evolution of Old Glory. . , The official flag of the United States has changed since the creation of the country. Originally, the concept was to have one star and one stripe for each state. The Betsy Ross flag was designed with 13 stars in a circle and 13 alternating red and white stripes. As additional states came into the nation, the flags changed to accommodate this concept. When Kentucky and Vermont entered the nation, two stars and two stripes were added. It soon became evident that adding additional stripes was not prudent and in 1818, the nineteenth and twentieth stars were added, but the number of stripes reverted to thirteen., This corridor contains the 27 legal flags flown throughout US history By law, a star is added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of a State(s) to the Union, Contrary to popular belief the first official US flag was not the Betsy Ross flag (13 stars in a circle), but the staggered star pattern. It is important to note that no US flag ever becomes obsolete. Each flag in this display remains a legal flag and may be flown at any time., The identification sign accompanying each flag shows the number of stars, the years that the flag was current and the state(s) that came into the union that added the new star(s).