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You are here: Home / Language / What Do the Stars and Stripes on the American Flag Represent and What Do the Colors Symbolize?

What Do the Stars and Stripes on the American Flag Represent and What Do the Colors Symbolize?

April 12, 2020 by Karen Hill

The American flag has changed twenty-six times since the first official design was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

Today it consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with six white.

The stripes represent the original thirteen colonies, while the stars represent the fifty states of the Union.

The colors of the flag are symbolic as well.

Red represents hardiness and valor, white represents purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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