After a state is admitted, is the star always put in place on the next forth of July?
From USflag.org:
Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe.
Thanks. I saw a reference in a book and didn’t know if it was still valid or what authority it was based on. The book didn’t mention it was an Act, but did mention the year 1818.
Has that law always been followed, or is it mostly a platitude? Did flags with a 50th star on them begin flying from federal buildings beginning the first 4th of July following Hawaii’s admission?
Based on my recollections when Alaska (49) and Hawaii (50) were added to the union, I don’t recall waiting until the 4th of July. It seems to me the new flags came into use as soon as statehood was official.
But then again, I was young at the time, and my memory may be faulty.
Being as I wasn’t around for the last states to be admitted, I was really expecting somebody to let me know.
It’s certainly possible that people starting selling 50-star flags immediately, but that the official flag didn’t change until the next Fourth of July.
Alaska entered the union on January 3, 1959; Hawaii on August 21, 1959. That indicates a 49-star flag on July 4, 1959 and a 5-star flag on July 4, 1960.
I certainly remember a 49-star flag, but I was too young to notice or care what flew over the federal building or when.
I clearly recall some people complaining in 1959 that they didn’t want to buy a new 49 start flag then buy another new 50 star flag the next year. I remember announcements that it was perfectly fine to continue the fly the 48 star flag. And many people did waiting a year to buy the 50 star flag. I was 10 in 1959.
Unless I’m mistaken . . . here’s no law preventing anyone from manufacturing and selling a flag with any number of stars, at any time. I’m old enough to remember, and some people had new flags even before the states were officially admitted, including some unique configurations for the stars & stripes.
But the “official” flag is a different matter.
So there wasn’t a time when the American flag had precisely 47 stars? Next you’ll be telling me that the 13 stripes aren’t there for good luck either.
Both New Mexico and Arizona joined the union in early 1912, a month apart. So, no, there was never a 47-star flag officially.
13 x 50 = 650 :eek: 
Where do we put the extra 7 stars?
Obama said there are 57 states? When? I blame Teresa Heinz!
You can buy 51-stars in Puerto Rico now. Doesn’t mean they’ll ever become official.