Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792) were added as States. Congress approved the Second Flag Act on January 13, 1794 adding two stars and stripes. The Act was signed into Law on May 1, 1795 by President George Washington. The Flag had 15 alternate red and white stripes and 15 stars arranged in five staggered rows of three.
This flag is most famous because it was the flag that was flying over Fort McHenry during a night-long bombardment by the British in the War of 1812. The huge flag was 42 feet long and 30 feet wide. After a night of watching the bombardment of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key could not believe his eyes, and in utter amazement, he quickly jotted on the back of an envelope his emotions and wrote the poem that was adopted as our National Anthem.
The original flag is on display at the Smithsonian Institution. For more flag facts, visit www.si.edu/spotlight/flag-day/banner-facts.
