Betsy Ross
Encyclopedia
Betsy Ross is widely credited with making the first American flag
. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.
, on January 1, 1752, the eighth of seventeen children. She grew up in a household where the plain dress and strict discipline of the Society of Friends
dominated her life. She learned to sew from her great-aunt Sarah Elizabeth Ann Griscom.
Her great-grandfather Andrew Griscom, a Quaker
carpenter
, emigrated in 1680 from England
.
After she finished her schooling at a Quaker public school, her father apprenticed her to an upholsterer named William Webster. At this job, she fell in love with fellow apprentice John Ross, who was the son of Aeneas Ross (and Sarah Leach), an assistant rector at (Episcopal) Christ Church
. The couple eloped in 1773 when she was 21 at Hugg's Tavern in Gloucester City, New Jersey
. The marriage caused a split from her family and meant her expulsion from the Quaker congregation. The young couple soon started their own upholstery business and joined Christ Church
, where their fellow congregants included George Washington
and his family. Betsy and John Ross had no children.
broke out when the two had been married for two years. As a member of the local militia, John Ross was assigned to guard munitions and was killed by a gunpowder explosion. The 24-year-old Betsy worked in the upholstery business repairing uniforms and making tents and blankets and stuffed paper tube cartridges with musket balls in 1779 for the Continental Army.
There is speculation that Betsy was the "beautiful young widow" who distracted Carl von Donop
in Mount Holly, New Jersey, after the battle of Battle of Iron Works Hill
, thus keeping his forces out of the Battle of Trenton
.
On June 15, 1777, she married her second husband, mariner Joseph Ashburn. Ashburn's ship was captured by a British frigate in 1780. He was charged with treason and imprisoned in England. While Ashburn was imprisoned, their first daughter, Zilla, died at nine months of age and their second daughter, Eliza, was born. Ashburn died of an unknown illness in a British jail.
In May 1783, she married an old friend, John Claypoole. The couple had five daughters. With the birth of their second daughter, they moved to a larger house on Second Street. After two decades of poor health, Claypoole died in 1817. Ross continued the upholstery business for 10 more years. Upon retirement, she moved in with her daughter, Susanna, in Abington
.
Ross, by then completely blind, spent her last three years living with her daughter, Jane, in Philadelphia. On Saturday, January 30, 1836, Ross died in her sleep at the age of 84.
Although it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia, the claim that Ross once lived at the Betsy Ross House
is a matter of dispute.
in the Cobbs Creek Park
section of Philadelphia. In preparation for the United States Bicentennial
, the city ordered the remains moved to the courtyard of the Betsy Ross House
in 1975; however, workers found no remains under her tombstone. Bones found elsewhere in the family plot were deemed to be hers and were re-interred in the current grave visited by tourists at the Betsy Ross House.
issued a stamp to honor the 200th anniversary of her birth. It shows her presenting the new flag to George Washington
, Robert Morris, and George Ross
. The design was taken from a painting by Charles H. Weisberger, one of the founders and first secretary of the Memorial Association.
In the 2008 book The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon, Smithsonian experts point out that Canby's recounting of the event appealed to Americans eager for stories about the revolution and its heroes and heroines. Betsy Ross was promoted as a patriotic role model for young girls and a symbol of women's contributions to American history. This line of enquiry is further explored by award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in a 2007 article "How Betsy Ross Became Famous: Oral Tradition, Nationalism, and the Invention of History." Ross biographer Marla Miller points out, however, that even if one accepts Canby's presentation, Betsy Ross was merely one of several flag makers in Philadelphia, and her only contribution to the design was to change the 6-pointed stars to the easier 5-pointed stars.
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.
Early life
Betsy Ross was born Elizabeth Griscom to Samuel Griscom and the former Rebecca James in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, on January 1, 1752, the eighth of seventeen children. She grew up in a household where the plain dress and strict discipline of the Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
dominated her life. She learned to sew from her great-aunt Sarah Elizabeth Ann Griscom.
Her great-grandfather Andrew Griscom, a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, emigrated in 1680 from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
After she finished her schooling at a Quaker public school, her father apprenticed her to an upholsterer named William Webster. At this job, she fell in love with fellow apprentice John Ross, who was the son of Aeneas Ross (and Sarah Leach), an assistant rector at (Episcopal) Christ Church
Christ Church, Philadelphia
Christ Church is an Episcopal church located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1695 by members of the Church of England, who built a small wooden church on the site by the next year. When the congregation outgrew this structure some twenty years later, they decided to erect a new...
. The couple eloped in 1773 when she was 21 at Hugg's Tavern in Gloucester City, New Jersey
Gloucester City, New Jersey
Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 11,456.-Geography:Gloucester City is located at ....
. The marriage caused a split from her family and meant her expulsion from the Quaker congregation. The young couple soon started their own upholstery business and joined Christ Church
Christ Church, Philadelphia
Christ Church is an Episcopal church located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1695 by members of the Church of England, who built a small wooden church on the site by the next year. When the congregation outgrew this structure some twenty years later, they decided to erect a new...
, where their fellow congregants included George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and his family. Betsy and John Ross had no children.
Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
broke out when the two had been married for two years. As a member of the local militia, John Ross was assigned to guard munitions and was killed by a gunpowder explosion. The 24-year-old Betsy worked in the upholstery business repairing uniforms and making tents and blankets and stuffed paper tube cartridges with musket balls in 1779 for the Continental Army.
There is speculation that Betsy was the "beautiful young widow" who distracted Carl von Donop
Carl von Donop
Count Carl Emilius von Donop was a Hessian colonel who fought in the American Revolutionary War.-Origins and ambitions:...
in Mount Holly, New Jersey, after the battle of Battle of Iron Works Hill
Battle of Iron Works Hill
The Battle of Iron Works Hill, also known as the Battle of Mount Holly, was a series of minor skirmishes that took place on December 22 and 23, 1776, during the American War of Independence...
, thus keeping his forces out of the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
.
On June 15, 1777, she married her second husband, mariner Joseph Ashburn. Ashburn's ship was captured by a British frigate in 1780. He was charged with treason and imprisoned in England. While Ashburn was imprisoned, their first daughter, Zilla, died at nine months of age and their second daughter, Eliza, was born. Ashburn died of an unknown illness in a British jail.
In May 1783, she married an old friend, John Claypoole. The couple had five daughters. With the birth of their second daughter, they moved to a larger house on Second Street. After two decades of poor health, Claypoole died in 1817. Ross continued the upholstery business for 10 more years. Upon retirement, she moved in with her daughter, Susanna, in Abington
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
.
Ross, by then completely blind, spent her last three years living with her daughter, Jane, in Philadelphia. On Saturday, January 30, 1836, Ross died in her sleep at the age of 84.
Although it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia, the claim that Ross once lived at the Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross House
The Betsy Ross House may be where Betsy Ross lived when she may have made the first American Flag. By 1876, several surviving family members said this was the location....
is a matter of dispute.
Burials
Ross's body was first buried at the Quaker burial ground on South 5th Street. Twenty years later, her remains were exhumed and reburied in the Mt. Moriah CemeteryMount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia)
Mount Moriah Cemetery is a historic cemetery in southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along Cobbs Creek. It was incorporated on March 27, 1855 and established by an act of the Pennsylvania Legislature. The cemetery, which originally occupied , was among a number of cemeteries established along the...
in the Cobbs Creek Park
Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cobbs Creek is a predominantly African American neighborhood located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States . Cobbs Creek is generally bound by Market Street to the north, Baltimore Ave. to the south, 52nd Street to the east, and Cobbs Creek to the west...
section of Philadelphia. In preparation for the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
, the city ordered the remains moved to the courtyard of the Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross House
The Betsy Ross House may be where Betsy Ross lived when she may have made the first American Flag. By 1876, several surviving family members said this was the location....
in 1975; however, workers found no remains under her tombstone. Bones found elsewhere in the family plot were deemed to be hers and were re-interred in the current grave visited by tourists at the Betsy Ross House.
Betsy Ross postage stamp
On January 1, 1952, the U.S. Post OfficeUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued a stamp to honor the 200th anniversary of her birth. It shows her presenting the new flag to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Robert Morris, and George Ross
George Ross (delegate)
George Ross was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania.He was born in New Castle, Delaware, and educated at home. He studied law at his brother John's law office, the common practice in those days, and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia...
. The design was taken from a painting by Charles H. Weisberger, one of the founders and first secretary of the Memorial Association.
Myth and memory
Research conducted by the Smithsonian National Museum of America History notes that the story of Betsy Ross making the first American flag for General George Washington entered into American consciousness about the time of the 1876 centennial celebrations. In 1870 Ross's grandson, William J. Canby, presented a paper to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in which he claimed that his grandmother had "made with her hands the first flag" of the United States. Canby said he first obtained this information from his aunt Clarissa Sydney (Claypoole) Wilson in 1857, twenty years after Betsy Ross's death. Canby dates the historic episode based on Washington's journey to Philadelphia, in late Spring 1776, a year before Congress passed the Flag Act.In the 2008 book The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon, Smithsonian experts point out that Canby's recounting of the event appealed to Americans eager for stories about the revolution and its heroes and heroines. Betsy Ross was promoted as a patriotic role model for young girls and a symbol of women's contributions to American history. This line of enquiry is further explored by award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in a 2007 article "How Betsy Ross Became Famous: Oral Tradition, Nationalism, and the Invention of History." Ross biographer Marla Miller points out, however, that even if one accepts Canby's presentation, Betsy Ross was merely one of several flag makers in Philadelphia, and her only contribution to the design was to change the 6-pointed stars to the easier 5-pointed stars.
Further reading
- Chanko, Pamela. Easy Reader Biographies: Betsy Ross: The Story of Our Flag (Easy Reader Biographies). 2007.
- Cohon, Rhody, Stacia Deutsch, and Guy Francis. Betsy Ross' Star (Blast to the Past). 2007.
- Cox, Vicki. Betsy Ross: A Flag For A Brand New Nation (Leaders of the American Revolution). 2005.
- Harker, John B. and Museum Images & Exhibits. Betsy Ross's Five Pointed Star. 2005.
- Harkins, Susan Sales and William H. Harkins. Betsy Ross (Profiles in American History) (Profiles in American History). 2006.
- Leepson,Marc. Flag: An American Biography (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, 2005).
- Loewen, James W., Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. 1995
- Mader, Jan. Betsy Ross (First Biographies). 2007.
- Mara, Wil. Betsy Ross (Rookie Biographies). 2006.
External links
- Flag: An American Biography website
- Betsy Ross Homepage from ushistory.org