Why does the American flag have 13 stripes?

The American flag features 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. These colonies—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island—formed the foundation of the United States. Each stripe signifies the unity and resilience of these colonies in their pursuit of freedom, and this symbolism is an important aspect of American history.

The other options reference different historical contexts that do not align with the symbolism of the flag's design. There were originally 13 colonies, not states, so the reference to states does not apply as the flag's stripes specifically commemorate the earliest group of colonies. The idea of 13 years of war or 13 stars does not match the conventional understanding of the flag's design and intentions. The stars, which represent the states, are separate from the stripes and denote the current states in the Union.