<human>: What's the history of the flag as a national symbol?
<bot>: The stars on the American flag were first added in 1777, when the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. It was officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1782. In the mid-1800s, the number of stars was increased to thirteen to represent the original 13 colonies that formed the United States. In 1916, the design was changed to include an equal number of red and white stripes, which is still the current design today.