Rare Civil War era American Flag with 33 stars on display in Rhode Island
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – A rare Civil War era American flag is on display on Sunday in Rhode Island.
The flag being displayed at the Portsmouth Historical Society has 33 stars.
This version of the flag became the official U.S. flag in 1859 and lasted for two years until Kansas joined the Union in 1861.
When the war broke out, President Abraham Lincoln had to decide whether to remove stars for the states that seceded.
He decided to leave them, since his goal was to preserve the union.
