Week In Review and History Makers Betsy Ross WIth Linda Claydon

Betsy Ross is often credited with creating the first American flag. Legend has it that in 1776, a committee including George Washington approached her to make a flag for the newly formed United States. Although the historical accuracy of this story is debated, Betsy Ross was indeed a skilled seamstress and flag maker.

 

She was born Elizabeth Griscom in 1752 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a Quaker family. She learned sewing from her great-aunt and eventually apprenticed as an upholsterer, where she met and married John Ross, an upholsterer's apprentice, in 1773.

 

Betsy Ross and her husband were involved in the American Revolutionary War. John Ross died in 1776 from a munitions explosion, leaving Betsy a widow. She continued her work as an upholsterer and is said to have sewn flags for the Pennsylvania Navy.

 

The story of Betsy Ross creating the first American flag gained popularity after her death. Her grandson, William Canby, presented the tale to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870, claiming that Ross had sewn the first flag based on a design by George Washington. However, there is limited historical evidence to support this claim, and it remains a topic of debate among historians.

 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding her role in creating the first American flag, Betsy Ross is remembered as a symbol of patriotism and female ingenuity in American history. Her home in Philadelphia has been preserved as a historic landmark, and she is honored in various ways throughout the United States.