Founding1777
Continental Congress Adopts the American Flag
The Continental Congress passed a resolution establishing the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States, declaring that "the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white" with "thirteen stars, white in a blue field." June 14 is now celebrated as Flag Day.
Why It Matters
The adoption of a national flag gave the new nation a unifying symbol, representing the shared commitment to democratic self-governance that bound the states together in common cause.