- NĂ©e:
- Elizabeth Griscom
- Born:
- January 1, 1752, Gloucester City, New Jersey [U.S.]
- Died:
- January 30, 1836, Philadelphia (aged 84)
Betsy Ross
-
Who was Betsy Ross?
Betsy Ross (1752â1836) was an American seamstress credited with making the first American flag. According to her grandson William Canby, in 1776, George Washington and a committee from the Continental Congress requested that she make a flag for the new nation and that she also improved upon the flag's design, including suggesting the use of a five-pointed star.
In 1773, she married John Ross but was disowned by the Society of Friends for marrying outside the faith. After John's death, Betsy continued working as a seamstress and flag maker. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag of the United States.
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What is Betsy Ross famous for?
Betsy Ross, born Elizabeth Griscom in New Jersey, was an American seamstress credited with making the first American flag. According to her grandson William Canby, in June 1776, George Washington and a committee from the Continental Congress asked Ross to create a flag for the new country and that she improved the flag's design, suggesting the use of a five-pointed star rather than a six-pointed one. While there is no firm evidence that she designed the flag, it is known that Ross made flags for the navy. The Continental Congress formally approved the Stars and Stripes as the national flag on June 14, 1777.
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What role did Betsy Ross play in the creation of the American flag?
According to family stories, Betsy Ross, an American seamstress, fashioned and helped design the first flag of the United States.
The story that Betsy Ross made the first American flag was popularized when her grandson, William Canby, presented a paper to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870. Canby stated that George Washington and a committee from the Continental Congress asked Ross to make a flag for the new country in June 1776. According to the story, Ross made suggestions, including the use of a five-pointed star, which Washington incorporated. Ross then made the flag.
The Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag on June 14, 1777. While it is known that Ross made flags for the navy, there is no firm evidence to support the popular story about her making the national flag.
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Where did Betsy Ross live and work?
Betsy Ross was born in Gloucester City, New Jersey, but she lived and worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By 1775, she and her first husband, John Ross, ran a small shop in Philadelphia's commercial district. After John's death, Betsy continued her work as a seamstress and upholsterer. She ran her upholstery business with her third husband, John Claypoole, and later with her daughters, granddaughters, and nieces, producing flags and other items. The Betsy Ross House on Arch Street in Philadelphia has been a museum since the turn of the 20th century, though it is debated whether she lived or worked in that specific house. It is likely that she lived and worked in that vicinity.
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How did the story of Betsy Ross making the first flag become popular?
The story of Betsy Ross making the first American flag became popular after her grandson, William Canby, presented a paper to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870. Canby's account, titled "The History of the Flag of the United States," shared stories from family members and his own recollections of his grandmother's tales about her involvement in making flags. He claimed that George Washington and a committee from the Continental Congress asked Ross to make a flag for the new country in June 1776. According to the story, Ross also improved the flag's design, including suggesting the use of a five-pointed star. While it is known that Ross made flags for the navy, there is no definitive evidence to support the popular story about her making the national flag.
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What are some debates or questions about the truth of the Betsy Ross flag story?
The story of Betsy Ross making the first American flag is a popular legend, but its truth is debated.
Key points of contention:
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Lack of Historical Evidence There is no solid, contemporary documentary evidence that supports the story of Betsy Ross designing or sewing the first flag. The story largely relies on the account of her grandson, William Canby, in 1870, decades after the event supposedly occurred.
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Alternative Designers Some historians suggest that Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, may have designed the first flag.
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Ross's Contributions While it's known that Betsy Ross made flags for the navy, there's no definitive proof she created the first Stars and Stripes.
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Betsy Ross (born January 1, 1752, Gloucester City, New Jersey [U.S.]âdied January 30, 1836, Philadelphia) was an American seamstress who, according to family stories, fashioned and helped design the first flag of the United States.
Elizabeth Griscom, the eighth of 17 children, was brought up as a member of the Society of Friends, educated in Quaker schools, and became an apprentice to a Philadelphia upholsterer. She married another upholstererâs apprentice, John Ross, in 1773 and was disowned by the Society of Friends for marrying outside the faith. By 1775 the Rosses had opened a small shop in the commercial district of Philadelphia where they lived. John was killed in January 1776 soon after he joined a local militia company to fight in the American Revolution. Betsy continued to work as a seamstress and upholsterer. In June 1777 she married Joseph Ashburn, who would die in prison in England in 1782 after the merchant marine brigantine on which he was serving was captured during the war. In 1783 Betsy married again, this time to John Claypoole, who had been imprisoned with Ashburn and brought the news of his death and with whom Betsy joined the newly formed Free Quakers. Betsy ran her upholstery business with Claypoole and then for years afterward with her daughters, granddaughters, and nieces, producing flags among other objects.
The story that Betsy Ross made and helped design the American flag has been disseminated since her grandson William Canby presented his paper âThe History of the Flag of the United Statesâ to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870. According to Canbyâs account, his grandmother not only made the first Stars and Stripes at George Washingtonâs behest but also helped design it. Canby based his paper on stories that he had heard from family members, along with his own memories of his grandmotherâs tales of her involvement in making flags.
Canby claimed that in June 1776 Washington and a committee from the Continental Congress asked his grandmother to make a flag for the new country on the verge of declaring its independence. The story then goes on to say that Ross made suggestions to improve a rough sketch of the flag that was presented to herâincluding the use of the five-pointed star rather than the six-pointed one chosen by Washingtonâand Washington incorporated her suggestions. Ross then fashioned the flag in her back parlorâagain, according to the legend.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag of the United States. It is known that Ross made flags for the navy, but there is no firm evidence in support of the popular story about her making (and designing) the national flag. Since the turn of the 20th century, the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street in Philadelphia has been a museum; though it is debatable whether Ross actually ever lived or worked in this house, it is likely that she did live and work in the vicinity.