23 Star Flag - (1820-1822) (U.S.)

Last modified: 2005-12-17 by rick wyatt
Keywords: twenty-three | united states |
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image by Rick Wyatt, 5 April 1998

• Description of the flag
• Great Star Pattern

See also:

• History of the Stars and Stripes
• U.S. Historical flags
• United States of America

Description of the flag

In 1820, two stars were added, representing Alabama and Maine, bringing the total number of stars to 23. There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
Rick Wyatt, 5 April 1998

Great Star Pattern

image by Blas Delgado Ortiz, 10 August 2001

Although there are no known 23 star flags in existence with this star pattern, I know of a description of one used when Maine became a state like this. Anyway, from the 1780's until about the Civil War, Great Star Flags -- with the stars arranged so they make up one big star -- were popular, particularly on ships.
Dave Martucci, 7 December 1997