When the Revolutionary War started there were many different flags used by various regiments, militias, colonies and ships.

In January 1776, General Washington raised the first red and white 13 stripes flag with the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner.

On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act that stated the "flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." Today, we celebrate June 14 as Flag Day.

Congress did not say how the stars should be arranged so there were variations of the flag until President Taft fixed the position of the stars in 1912. As new states are added to the union, the president of the day gives orders on how they are to be arranged.

Today, the thirteen stripes remain to represent the original thirteen colonies, with 50 stars to represent each state of the union.

Legend has it that Betsy Ross sewed the first American Flag, but most scholars believe it was the designer, Francis Hopkinson, a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The American Flag is sometimes called "Old Glory".