An American Confederate flag painted on an old barn on Historic Route 66 in Illinois. This is, in part, the final 13-star version which dates from 1861. The stars refer to the states, but the flag is usually depicted with three bars (and known as the stars and bars). The thirteen stripes, which referred to the British colonies that declared independence from the UK, appear to have been taken from the current national flag of the USA. Route 66 is a historic highway that runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, USA.