Grand Union Flag

Grand Union Flag

De facto flag of the United States until 1777
Other names	Cambridge Flag, Continental Colour, First Navy Ensign, Flag of America
Use	National flag and ensign
Adopted	December 3, 1775 (1775-12-03)
Relinquished	June 14, 1777 (1777-06-14)
Design	Thirteen horizontal stripes alternating red and white; and in the canton, the King's Colour

The first national flag of the United States, often referred to as the Grand Union Flag, Cambridge Flag, Continental Colour, and First Navy Ensign was the de facto flag of the United States until 1777, when the 13 star U.S. flag was adopted by the Continental Congress. First hoisted aboard the newly converted 24-gun frigate Alfred in 1775, the field featured 13 alternating red and white stripes (representative of the Thirteen Colonies). The canton featured the King's Colour, to which the colonies belonged until July 1776.