how many red and how many white stripes on the original american flag

The original American flag had 13 stripes total: 7 red and 6 white.

Quick Scoop

The flag adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, was specified to have thirteen stripes, alternate red and white. In practice and in later formalized design standards, those thirteen stripes were arranged as seven red stripes and six white stripes , starting and ending with red.

Why 13 stripes?

• The 13 stripes represented the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Britain.

• This symbolism was kept even as more states joined, which is why today’s flag still has 7 red and 6 white stripes , just like the early flags based on the 1777 resolution.

In short: on the original American flag design, there were 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes , for a total of 13 stripes, alternating red and white.

TL;DR:
Original American flag = 13 alternating stripes: 7 red, 6 white.

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