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Meaning of Red and White Stripes on US Flag

There was an act that said that the flag of the thirteen United States be the thirteen stripes, alternated with red and white and the union be thirteen stars be white in a bay of blue field that would represent a new constellation. Washington said that they take the stars from the heavens and the red from our mother country that would separate it by white stripes, and the white stripes will mean liberty.

More input from WikiAnswers Contributors:

* The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies. The colors have a different meaning. White represents courage and red represents the blood shed. 

* The number of the stripes - 13 - signifies the 13 colonies of the time. The red, historically, represents the British while the white stripes cutting through the red is a political statement against Great Britain and its rule over the colonies. You will find that many flags of the time, including the flag of George Rogers Clark carried the tradition of intersected red fields. 

* What I have found about what do the "colors" represent, are: Red-Hardiness, courage, White-Purity, innocence, Blue-Vigilance, perseverance, and justice. 

* The web page ushistory.org gave me information about the Flag. It is said that the stars were taken from the sky, the red was inspired by the British colors, and the white stripes indicate secession from the home country. Yet, there is no official meaning for the colors of the flag. 

* The red, white, and blue colors on the American flag represent philosophical values. Red: Blood, war, and courage. Blue: Justice and Freedom. White: Purity. 

* Take a look at the Union Jack of the United Kingdom - Red, White and Blue. I think the founding fathers intended a clever irony, if nothing else. Many countries use the three colors exclusively - Islamic countries, hard-core communist countries, evil dictatorships - see my list below. I wonder what the North Koreans think? How 'bout them Cubans? Can we get the Russian take? And France - well, none of the colors could possibly mean bravery or valor. My wife is studying for her citizenship examination. The questions include - How many stars on the flag, how many stripes, what does that number represent, what color are the stars, stripes? They do not ask the *meaning* of the colors - there is no official meaning. Other countries using Red, White and Blue and only Red, White and Blue colors: the flags of Australia, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Anguilla, Belize, Bermuda, Most of the former British Territories, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cuba, Chile, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Falkland Islands, The Faroes, France, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Holland, Iceland, Laos, Liberia, Mayotte, Martinique, New Zealand, North Korea, Northern Marinas, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Samoa, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Taiwan, Thailand, Tromelin, Tkelau, Wallis & Futuna, Western Samoa, Yugoslavia, - did I miss any? Come on down to the National Archives! Craig C. Krause, Washington, D.C. 

* The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies. The colors have different meanings. White means courage and red means bloodshed. 

* Well, the 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies of the U.S.A.. It used to be 1 stripe and star for each state, but with each new state that joined, another stripe and star had to be added. Eventually, there were so many stripes, it was decided that there would be only 13 stripes to honor the first 13 colonies and just a star for each state. 

* June 14, 1777, congress declares the flag should have thirteen white stars in a blue background and thirteen alternate red and white stripes. The red means hardiness and valor. White signifies purity and innocence. Blue is the color of the Chief. The star symbolizes heaven and the goal all man have been striving for. The stripe is a ray of light from the sun.

Well I wont go to all this detail that 'Backflipper202' Although well educated, my version of the flag color would of been 'when we fought our enemies they would be red,blew,white, when were finish with them.