The United States flag originated in Philadelphia as a result of a resolution by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777:
This resolution did not say how many points the stars should have or how the stars should be arranged. Consequently, some flags had stars arranged in rows while others had the stars in a circle, sometimes with one star inside the circle. There were also flags that had the stars scattered on the blue field! The first Navy Flag had staggered stars arranged in alternate rows of threes and twos. Another Stars and Stripes flag had alternate rows of four, five, and four.
The types of stars used also varied. Some flags had the five-pointed stars we see today. Other flags used six-pointed stars and some flags actually had stars with eight points! No matter what kind of star was used or how the stars were arranged, the earliest American flags were always called "Stars and Stripes." When you make your flag, you can either recreate a flag made long ago or have some fun creating your very own Stars and Stripes Flag!
Fun Fact: Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner" with a cedar pencil similar to the one we sell (1004).
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