Encoded Trivia #7
U.S. government & civicsAbout This Answer
The American flag features 13 alternating red and white stripes, representing the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Britain. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, this design was established by the Continental Congress in 1777 and has remained unchanged since. The 13 colonies - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia - formed the foundation of the United States. Historians at the National Archives document how the flag's design symbolizes the nation's founding principles and the unity of the original states. The 13 stripes continue to represent the historical foundation upon which the United States was built.