48 STARS, Forest Hills

by Kevin Walsh

Happy Flag Day. I was idly shambling around Forest Hills a few years ago when I spotted this 48-star flag on a garage. The 48 stars were current between 1912 and 1959, the ratifications of Arizona and Alaska.

The US had 47 states for a little over 1 month in 1912, between the ratifications of New Mexico and Arizona; I wonder if a 47-star flag was ever produced.

Will the USA ever have more states, or have we stopped at an even 50?

6/14/14

5 comments

therealguyfaux June 14, 2013 - 3:37 pm

Actually, for a short time, for about a year between Alaska’s and later Hawaii’s admission to the Union, there was a 49-star flag, 7 rows of 7 stars. I don’t believe there ever was a 47-star flag– how would they have been arranged? I can only figure, two rows of ten sandwiching three rows of nine (20 + 27 = 47) and I’ve never seen such a flag.

Reply
therealguyfaux June 14, 2013 - 3:40 pm

Or for that matter, it could have been 9-10-9-10-9, but sorry, no deal on that one either.

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John T June 14, 2013 - 10:51 pm

According to Wikipedia, there was never a 47 star flag.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_flag

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Danny S. June 15, 2013 - 8:50 am

There was no 47-star flag because a flag with a new number of stars only becomes official on the July 4 following the admission of a new state, and there was no July 4 that fell during the brief period when the U.S. had 47 states.

Reply
Tal Barzilai June 15, 2013 - 6:21 pm

Unless you can convince the people of Peurto Rico that having them become a state is good let alone the rest of the commonwealth of the US, there won’t be anymore stars on the US flag.

Reply

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