how many stars were on the first american flag

The first American flag had 13 stars. Those 13 stars represented the original 13 colonies, paired with 13 stripes on the flag.

Quick Scoop

The flag resolution adopted on June 14, 1777, called for 13 white stars on a blue field. Later versions added more stars as new states joined the Union, but the first official design started with 13.

A small detail

There’s some historical debate about the exact layout of the very first flag design, but the star count is not in doubt: it was 13.