What Do the Stars on the United States Flag Mean?
The U.S. flag graces everything from schools and public buildings to military celebrations and sports games. As a whole, it represents the best attributes of the nation: equality, freedom, honor, justice and independence. In addition, each element of the flag carries its own distinct meaning.
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Symbolism of the Star
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Of all the symbols, the star most closely mirrors the flag's overall significance. According to USFlag.org, as "a symbol of the heavens," the star represents the high ideals and goals "to which man has aspired from time immemorial." The flag features one star for each American state.
Types
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Unlike the stripes, which stand for the 13 original colonies, stars are added to the flag each time new states join the country. Therefore, multiple versions and designs exist that are highly prized by collectors and historians. According to the Federal Citizen Information Center, the present 50-star flag was "raised for the first time on...July 4, 1960," the first Independence Day after Hawaii entered the Union.
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"The Star-Spangled Banner"
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The flag's stars also inspired the national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key in September 1814. Key composed the song's lyrics after seeing the flag still flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore despite a British bombardment. However, the U.S. Congress didn't adopt "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official anthem until 1931, according to The Oxford Companion to American Literature.
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- Photo Credit American Flag image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
