Report of the select committee appointed on the 16th ultimo, to inquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States. January 6, 1818. Accompanied with a bill to alter the Flag.... by UNITED STATES CONGRESS

[Washington: Government Printer, 1818]. . 8vo, disbound, gutter showing evidence of previous pamphlet binding Report No. 37; Shaw & Shoemaker 46585. Three holdings listed in OCLC, but it is quite possible that many institutions may have this bound in the U.S. Serial Set, but, again, the early years are often missing.This report accompanied the bill which was the prelude to the Third Flag Act. The first, with thirteen bars and thirteen stars was introduced in 1777.In 1794 a second act was passed altering the flag to fifteen stripes and fifteen stars; this was to accommodate the entry of Vermont and Kentucky into the United States. This is the only flag to have more than 13 stripes.It soon became apparent that the solution found in 1794 was somewhat impractical, and the present report and its accompanying bill (not present) reverted to thirteen stripes for the original thirteen colonies and a single star for each state, and had, when adopted in 1818, thirteen stripes and 20 stars.This is the format of the flag as it flies today, with thirteen stripes and 50 stars.