13 Star Betsy Ross Flag, 3' x 5'
4200-035-001
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History of the 13 Star Betsy Ross Flag
The Betsy Ross flag, an early design for the flag of the United States, is steeped in a rich tapestry of history, myths, and legends. While the narrative of Betsy Ross creating the first American flag is widely accepted among Americans, some flag historians and revisionists challenge this account[1].
According to the traditional narrative, the genesis of the original flag traces back to July 4, 1776. On this day, a small committee, which included George Washington and George Ross, a relative of Betsy, visited her and discussed the need for a new American flag [1]. Betsy Ross, an upholsterer in Philadelphia who produced uniforms, tents, and flags for Continental forces [2], accepted the task of manufacturing the flag. She made a significant alteration to the committee's design by replacing the six-pointed stars with five-pointed stars [1].
History of the 13 Star Betsy Ross Flag continued below.
Betsy Ross Flag History
Despite the widespread acceptance of the Betsy Ross legend, its authenticity remains questionable [1]. The claim by her descendants that Betsy Ross contributed to the flag's design is not generally accepted by modern American scholars and those who study the history, symbolism, and usage of flags. However, the flag design she is said to have created was indeed in use by 1777 [1]. It is one of the oldest versions of U.S. flags known to exist.
While it is not the oldest surviving flag artifact in cloth form, its likeness appears on older physical relics. Notably, the contemporary battlefield paintings by John Trumbull and Charles Willson Peale depict the circular star arrangement being flown from ship masts and many other places. These paintings provide the first known historical documentation of the flag's appearance [1].
Image Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Nola Sparks, CC BY-SA 3.0, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Betsy Ross story first entered into American consciousness around the time of the 1876 Centennial Exposition 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 States¹. Canby said he first obtained this information from his aunt Clarissa Sydney Wilson (née Claypoole) in 1857, twenty years after Betsy Ross's death [1].
In his account, the original flag was made in June 1776, when a small committee – including George Washington, Robert Morris and relative George Ross – visited Betsy and discussed the need for a new U.S. flag. Betsy accepted the job to manufacture the flag, altering the committee's design by replacing the six-pointed stars with five-pointed stars. Canby dates the historic episode based on Washington's journey to Philadelphia, in late spring 1776, a year before Congress passed the Flag Act [1].
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the Betsy Ross legend, her story has made her a national icon [3]. The tale of her contribution to the design of the U.S. flag has become an integral part of American folklore, symbolizing the role of women in the American Revolution.
Betsy Ross Flag Research Sources:
(1) Betsy Ross flag - Wikipedia.
(2) Betsy Ross - Flag, Biography & Children | HISTORY..
(3) Biography: Betsy Ross - National Women's History Museum..