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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/civics-flag-stripes

Why does the American flag have 13 stripes?

For the 13 original colonies.

  1. For the 13 original colonies ✔
  2. For the first 13 presidents
  3. For the first 13 amendments

Why: The 13 stripes stand for the 13 original colonies. The stripes have nothing to do with presidents or amendments.

Huh, didn't know that: Flag Day, June 14, marks the day in 1777 when Congress adopted the first official flag.

The dad joke
Why do flags have stripes? So nobody mistakes them for polka dots.
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Sources

  1. USCIS M-1778 (09/25), 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/2025-Civics-Test-128-Questions-and-Answers.pdf

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