What do the stripes stand for on the American flag?

Question

I know the stars are the states, but do the stripes mean anything?

Answer 1

The amount of brain cells it takes to be President

Answer 2

In 1777, there were 13 stripes, alternating red and white each to represent a colony. While there is no specific mention of the purpose of the colors on the flag, the colors come from the national seal, wherein white signifies purity and innocence; red: hardiness & valour. An act in 1794 allowed for 15 stripes (effective May 1795), as there were two more states (Vermont and Kentucky) and stayed that way for 23 years, and in fact, is the flag actually immortalized in the Star Spangled Banner. In April 1818, the flag returned to it's original 13 stripes.

Answer 3

the American flag, the official national flag of the United States. It consists of 13 horizontal stripes, 7 red alternating with 6 white, and in the upper corner near the staff, a rectangular blue field, or canton, containing 50 five-pointed white stars. The stripes symbolize the 13 colonies that originally constituted the United States of America. The stars represent the 50 states of the Union. In the language of the Continental Congress, which defined the symbolic meanings of the colors red, white, and blue, as used in the flag, “White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; and Blue, Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.”

"Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

Answer 4

The stripes are for the original 13 states too. At one point, they tried adding stars and stripes to the flag with each new state, but decided to go back to the original 13 stripes and just add stars for the states.

Answer 5

the stars are the states, the 13 stripes stand for the original colonies

Answer 6

the number of stripes is 13 to represent the origional 13 states 7 red and 6 white. the flag use before the flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes is now known as the grand union flag and had the union flag (at that present time the union flag only recognised union between england and scotland) in the canton (top left corner) of the flag the field was 13 stripes just like today.
before THAT on ships in america they flew the british ensign which was a union flag in the canton and a plain red field. (this is still the british ensign today though todays recognises irelands union aswell of course!) but this flag was the bases and start of the USA flag who took her colours from the british ensign changing her plain red field to that of stripes of red and white the white signifying the seperation from her mother country. they changed the canton of the flag to the stars instead of the union flag becaus it was causing confusion whether america were in alliance with britain or seperate.

Answer 7

The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice." The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies.

Answer 8

the original 13 states

Answer 9

the stripes represent the original 13 colonies

Answer 10

The original 13 colonies.

Answer 11

The 13 original colonies / states.