How Many Stars Were On the United States Flag in 1863?

The American Flag has gone through many versions during the existence of the nation. Since the very first United States flag was made and flown in front of our troops as they went to battle, the same basic design has been present, but the number of stars has changed.

Our nation’s flag is made up of red and white bands with a field of blue that is broken by stars representing the number of states in the Union. There are seven red stripes broken up by six white stripes. The stripes run across the face of the flag from right to left. Inset into the upper left corner of the flag is a solid blue square. Stars are sewn onto the field of blue to represent each of the states that are members of the union.

Each revision of the flag occurred upon the addition of one or more states to the Union. When statehood was granted to a new state, the design of the blue field of stars was altered to include another star.

The basic layout of the stars changed as well to show equality and solidarity. During the Civil War, the United States flag bore not only stars for the states that were a part of the Union but also stars for the Confederate States because the President took the position that the states were still part of the Union, even though they were in rebellion.

Stars on the United States Flag in 1863

The Civil War of the United States of American began in 1861.

At the beginning of the War, the United States flag bore 34 stars to represent the number of states in the Union up to that point. The flag remained in that state until 1863.

In 1863, the western part of Virginia divided from Virginia and petitioned to be admitted to the Union as the 35th state, West Virginia. They would be admitted in 1863 on the side of the Union. At that point, the flag underwent a redesign and another star was added to the field of blue.

The total number of stars on the United States flag was then 35. They were arranged in a symmetrical set of five rows of seven stars. In the beginning of the year, there were 34 stars on the flag but by the end of the year, the flag bore 35 stars. 

Future of the Stars and Stripes

The flag of the United States of America has had a long history of change. In the two hundred years since its birth, the Union has added states at a rapid rate. The longest period of time the country has gone without adding a new state has been since the addition of Alaska as a state of the Union. Their addition formed a Union of fifty individual states, bound together under the same government with equal power to all the other states.

As of 2010, over forty years have passed since the state of Alaska was added to the Union. The generation alive in 2010 that have been referred to as the baby-boomers are the last generation that will remember the debates and celebrations of having a new state join the Union; however, that hiatus in accepting a new state may only be short lived.

Puerto Rico has long had a movement in the country to join the United States and how long it will be before that dream becomes a reality is anyone’s guess. When the next state is added, the United States Government Institute of Heraldry has already created the design of the fifty-one star flag.