A Brief History of the American Flag
During the earliest days of the United States, the situation regarding Flags was much different than it is today; there was no one single design, nor was there much conformity in flags even within a single design specification. Striped flags became popular even before the Revolutionary War broke out. The first U.S. flags retained the symbols of the mother country, in the hope of reconciliation. After 1777 and the adoption by Congress of the Stars and Stripes, three basic "sub-designs" used for different purposes evolved; the thirteen stripes used quite unofficially as a " Merchant Flag ," the design authorized by Congress on June 14th, 1777 and often referred to as the " Marine Flag ," used by our Navy; and the " Standard of the United States ," utilized primarily at the beginning by the army.
First Official U.S. Flag, 1777-1795
The First Official American Flag: This 13-Star Flag became the Official Flag republic flag on June 14th, 1777 as the result of a resolution of the continental congress. Much evidence exists pointing to Congressman Francis Hopkinson as the person responsible for its design. Each of the 13 founding Colonies was represented by 1 star and 1 stripe.
