Hello, there! I'm Professor History, and I'm delighted to answer your questions about the past, particularly when it comes to the fascinating evolution of the American flag.

You ask about the number of stars on the flag in 1801. This is a question that often sparks debate and requires a careful look at the history of the U.S. flag.

While the iconic image of the American flag is deeply ingrained in our minds, the truth is, the design of the flag wasn't static, especially in its early years. It evolved to reflect the growth of the nation.

Let's delve into the specifics of your query. The year 1801 falls within a period when the United States was experiencing rapid expansion. The 15-star, 15-stripe flag, authorized by Congress in 1795, was the official flag at the start of 1801. This design, with five rows of three stars, represented the admission of Vermont and Kentucky as states.

However, a significant event occurred later that year that directly impacted the flag's design. On April 1, 1801, President Thomas Jefferson signed a bill admitting Ohio as the 17th state of the Union.

Now, this is where things get interesting. There's no surviving documentation explicitly stating that the flag design was immediately changed to accommodate Ohio. Some historians speculate that a 17-stripe, 17-star flag *may* have been flown for a short period.

However, what we do know for sure is that the **15-stripe flag remained the official design** until 1818. It was in that year that Congress passed a resolution, championed by Captain Samuel C. Reid of the Navy, to establish a standardized design. This resolution stipulated that the flag would revert to 13 stripes to honor the original colonies and that a new star would be added for each new state admitted to the Union.

Therefore, to definitively answer your question, **there were 15 stars on the official U.S. flag in 1801**. While the addition of Ohio that year may have led to temporary, unofficial variations, the 15-star, 15-stripe flag remained the standard.
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The 15-star, 15-stripe flag was authorized by the Flag Act of January 13, 1794, adding 2 stripes and 2 Stars. The regulation went into effect on May 1, 1795. This flag was the only U.S. Flag to have more than 13 stripes. It was immortalized by Francis Scott Key during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Sept 13, 1814.read more >>