Starting in 1774, the Quebec Act forbids French and Catholicism in Quebec, spurring the Quebeckers to join the North American Revolution. By the end of the war in 1783, all the colonies in North America have revolted and joined the United States of America. There are 16 states, but 13 signed the Articles of Confederation originally, still leaving the new nation with 13 stripes. Upon the signing by the remaining states, it was realized that adding new stripes for each state would ruin the design, making the field look pink, so it was set to 13 stripes.