Betsy Ross Biography

A favorite American legend involves the creation of the first American flag. According to the story, Betsy Ross created the first flag of the new country on order from George Washington. Her great uncle, Colonel George Ross, and the Commander of the American forces, Colonel George Washington, visited her in 1776 as part of a committee to design the national flag.

Allegedly, she claimed to never have made a flag before, and although she was an accomplished seamstress was unsure of her abilities. She said that if shown a pattern, she could make a flag, and recommended five pointed stars instead of the six pointed version that the committee had originally suggested.

This story has been passed down by Americans since around the time of the American Civil War. Although some people assume it is completely true, there are several places where the story does not actually coincide with the Betsy Ross biography. The story is mostly unsubstantiated, with fragments coming from sources that cannot not be currently corroborated or disproved.

What is known about Betsy Ross is that she was an upholsterer who lived in Philadelphia at the right time period to be available to make the first flag. She did have a great uncle George Ross, and although she may have gone to Christ Church at the same time as George Washington and his family, there is little evidence that they knew each other. Also, there is no evidence that Congress was planning any sort of flag in 1776. The oldest know record of the story as we have it today dates from about the time of the Civil War.

In spite of the doubt surrounding the story of Betsy Ross and the American flag, there are a few things that do point in favor of her being the first flag maker. She did in fact receive money in 1777 from the Pennsylvania Navy Board for the making of flags. While there is no documentation supporting the designing of a flag in 1776, the 1777 Flag Resolution does not actually establish the design, but merely affirms an existing design. Even though the earliest surviving story of Betsy Ross's creation of the flag dates to the Civil War, Ellie Wheeler painted a picture in 1851 depicting the event.

Although there is some uncertainty surrounding the story, what is known is that Betsy Ross did play some part in the creation of the American flag, and may have even helped in its design.