During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes [1],” was based on the “Grand Union [2]” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes.