1735Why is the tomb of U.S. President John Adams draped with a flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes?
The tomb of U.S. President John Adams in Quincy, Massachusetts, is draped with a flag bearing 15 stars and 15 stripes—a design that was official during his presidency from 1797 to 1801. This flag commemorates the era when two new states, Vermont and Kentucky, joined the original thirteen, temporarily changing the nation’s flag. An annual presidential wreath-laying ceremony, a tradition begun under President Lyndon Johnson, continues to honor Adams’ enduring legacy, including the upcoming 291st anniversary of his birth on October 30, 2026.
