American Flag, ca. 1781 In 1777, Congress authorized a flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars in a field of blue, “representing a new Constellation,” a powerful metaphor that anchored the fragile union in the vast heavens. This 1781 variation—one of dozens of flag variations of the day—served as a military banner carried by soldiers in the final winning battle of the Revolutionary War.
© Collection of the New-York Historical Society, USA/Bridgeman Images.