15
Stripes:
Exploring
the
Fascinating
History
and
Symbolism
of
the
American
Flag The
American
Flag,
also
known
as
the
Stars
and
Stripes,
is
an
emblem
of
freedom
and
patriotism
for
the
United
States.
It
is
a
simple
design,
consisting
of
50
stars
and
13
stripes,
but
the
symbolism
behind
the
flag
runs
deep.
In
this
article,
we'll
explore
the
history
and
meaning
of
the
15
stripes
of
the
American
flag. The
original
United
States
flag
had
13
stripes,
representing
the
13
British
colonies
that
declared
independence
from
Britain
in
1776.
The
thirteen
stripes
are
alternating
red
and
white,
with
a
blue
field
in
the
upper
left
corner
containing
50
white
stars
representing
the
50
states. However,
during
the
War
of
1812,
the
United
States
realized
that
13
stripes
were
not
enough.
The
country
had
grown
to
include
more
states,
and
the
navy
needed
a
specific
flag
that
would
distinguish
its
ships
from
those
of
other
nations.
In
1818,
Congress
passed
a
law
allowing
for
the
addition
of
one
star
and
one
stripe
for
each
new
state
admitted
to
the
Uni（学习更多 星座查询表知识请关注 :星座圈,Www.xinGzuoQuAn.CC』on. The
flag
we
know
today
has
50
stars
and
13
stripes,
but
the
design
with
15
stripes
was
used
for
a
short
time,
from
1795
to
1818.
The
additional
two
stripes
were
added
to
represent
Kentucky
and
Vermont,
the
two
newly
admitted
states
in
1792
and
1791
respectively. The
15
stripes
design
also
had
significance
in
terms
of
maritime
law.
Ships
sailing
under
the
United
States
flag
with
15
stripes
were
granted
special
protection
in
foreign
ports,
as
they
were
considered
to
be
official
U.S.
vessels.
This
privilege
was
later
extended
to
ships
flying
the
13
stripes
design
as
well. In
conclusion,
the
history
and
symbolism
of
the
American
flag
are
rich
and
complex,
and
the
15
stripes
design
is
just
one
small
part
of
that
story.
Although
it
was
eventually
abandoned
in
favor
of
the
13
stripes
design,
it
remains
an
important
piece
of
American
history
and
a
symbol
of
the
country's
growth
and
strength.