2. It gained independence on July 4th 1776. It only had 13 states. They were New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
3. Today there are 50 states.
4. The flag has 50 stars, representing each state. Every time a new state joined, the flag was redesigned to add another star. The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies.
5. The national anthem is The Star Spangled Banner which became official in 1931.
