June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress issued a resolution making the Stars and Stripes the nation's flag. Enjoy a little red, white, and blue from across the Smithsonian. Visit the O Say Can You See ...

All you have to do is stare at the middle of the green, yellow, and black version of the Union Jack flag. This will then disappear and you may see the traditional red, white, and blue flag.

Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual ...