39 to 48 Stars
The 39th and 40th states admitted to the Union were the Dakotas. Originally intended to be one state, Congress elected to divide it into two doubling the allotted Senate seats. President Harrison intentionally did not know which admission he signed first leading North Dakota to be recognized as the 39th and South Dakota as the 40th by alphabetical order. The admission of the Dakotas completed statehood of the territory purchased by President Thomas Jefferson from France in the Louisiana Purchase.
Three more states (Montana, Washington and Idaho) were admitted within the same year – jumping from a 38 to a 43 star Flag.
Idaho, the 43rd state, was admitted on July 3, 1890 making the 43 star Flag official. Wyoming was admitted as the 44th state only 6 days after the 4th of July, making the 43 star Flag the rarest Flag as most flag-makers jumped from 38 star Flag to the 44 star Flag.
In 1890, Wyoming was granted statehood. Its government was the first in the world to grant women voting rights. It wasn’t until 30 years later that America granted women the right to vote.
In 1892, the children’s monthly magazine, “The Youth’s Companion”, edited by Francis Bellamy, printed the first Pledge of Allegiance. Several changes have been made over the years, most recently in 1954 with addition of “under God.”
By 1912, four more states were admitted to the Union and by Executive Order of President Taft the 48 star Flag was born. Finally, the arrangement of the stars was defined. Six horizontal rows would feature eight stars evenly aligned with all stars pointed upward. The Executive Order detailed everything about the Flag, including official size and the dye lots for red and blue.