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ushistory.org home page

Betsy Ross Homepage

 

Betsy Ross Homepage

 

Take a virtual tour of Betsy's House!
What do the red, white and blue represent? CLICK!
The Flag and Betsy are often in the news! Stay informed!
Need a picture of Betsy Ross?
Looking for a picture of the flag for your wallpaper or for printing?
What are the proportions of a flag?

Sign our Guest Book. Let us know that you have visited us...
... and if you have the time, read and contribute to our CyberThoughts about Betsy and the Flag page. What does the American flag mean to you? What does Betsy Ross mean to other Internet visitors? Let the world know how you feel!

While Americans recognize and celebrate collective achievements such as the writing of the Declaration of Independence, victory in the Revolutionary War, or the landing of a man on the Moon — it is individual accomplishment that is cherished the most. The "stars" of the aforementioned events — Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Neil Armstrong — outshine the collective constellation. One person's contribution can define the course and meaning of history.

When we view the flag, we think of liberty, freedom, pride, and Betsy Ross. The American flag flies on the moon, sits atop Mount Everest, is hurtling out in space. The flag is how America signs her name.

It is no surprise that Betsy Ross has become one of the most cherished figures of American History.

Betsy Ross

The story of Betsy Ross's Life is one of triumph through adversity. She was disowned by the Quakers. She lost one husband to an explosion at a munitions depot that he was guarding. Her second husband died in a British prison. She survived her third husband, who was sick for many years. She had seven daughters, two of whom died in infancy. She maintained a business through it all. By the way, her pew was next to George Washington's at Christ Church.

Betsy Ross house

The Betsy Ross House: Take a "virtual tour" of the little house on Arch Street in Philadelphia that is a shrine to Betsy Ross and the American Flag.

Betsy Ross and the American Flag. Read this background on early flags.

Picture gallery of the American flag at different times in history.

Flag Facts and Timeline of the history of the American flag.

Did Betsy sew the flag? A detailed analysis of the historical facts, with links to affidavits and Canby's original paper.

Flag rules contains flag etiquette plus the rules and regulations regarding proper handling of the American flag. For example, section 8i states: "The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever."

Quotes and notes about the American flag by poets, authors, politicians, and others.

Flag trivia questions and answers. Who cut the American flag into pieces and was honored for it? Is it ever appropriate to fly the flag upside down? Test your flag knowledge.

Step-by-step directions to cut a 5-pointed star in one snip. Six-pointed stars are easier to cut out of cloth — or so George Washington thought. Betsy Ross showed him how to cut a 5-pointed star in a single snip.

Links to other Web sites of interest about the flag and Betsy Ross.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

red bullet What do the red, white, and blue of the flag represent?
 

The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.

red bullet Why are the stars in a circle?
 

The stars were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, "Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens."

red bullet If Betsy sewed the flag, who designed it?
 

Betsy Ross's daughter, Rachel Fletcher, testified in 1870, the following: "[The committee] showed her [Betsy Ross] a drawing roughly executed, of the flag as it was proposed to be made by the committee, and that she saw in it some defects in its proportions and the arrangement and shape of the stars. That she said it was square and a flag should be one third longer than its width, that the stars were scattered promiscuously over the field, and she said they should be either in lines or in some adopted form as a circle, or a star, and that the stars were six-pointed in the drawing, and she said they should be five pointed."

red bullet Why would Betsy Ross be chosen to make the flag?
 

It was usual in that day for upholsterers to be flagmakers. As Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and had already sewn buttons for him, and she was a niece of George Ross, it is not exceptional that these members of the Flag Committee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag.

red bullet Was this her house?
 

It is known that Betsy Ross rented rooms here. At the time of the flag creation, she was either here at 239 Arch Street or next door at 241 Arch, where the garden is now. House numbers on her street between the years 1785 and 1857 were registered using three different numbering systems, making the determination very tricky. If you are interested in historical detective work, you'll enjoy the methodical, historical approach used by experts: check out the Was this her house? page.

red bullet Where is the first flag?
 

No one knows what happened to the first flag. Very few flags from that time have survived.

red bullet Why is the flag called "Old Glory"?
 

In 1831, Captain William Driver, a shipmaster from Salem, Massachusetts, left on one of his many world voyages. Friends presented him with a flag of 24 stars. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze, he exclaimed, "Old Glory." He kept his flag for many years, protecting it during the Civil War, until it was flown over the Tennessee capital. His "Old Glory" became a nickname for all American flags.

red bullet Who was Mary Pickersgill?
 

Mary Young Pickersgill sewed the very large (30'x42') Star-Spangled Banner in the summer of 1813. It flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 (1812-1814) and was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key to write what would become our National Anthem. Pickersgill's flag today hangs at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Her house still stands as a museum you can visit in Baltimore, Maryland.

red bullet What is a vexillologist?
 

A vexillologist is an expert on flags and ensigns. A vexillum (plural vexilla) is a military standard or flag used by ancient Roman troops.

red bullet Many people discover among their family relics a certificate from the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Memorial Association. What is it?
 

Certificate — click for enlargement
Over two million of these certificates were sold starting in 1898 in order to raise funds needed to preserve the Betsy Ross House. These certificates were receipts or "thank-yous" for contributions of 10 cents. The Association went out of business in 1935. The only "value" to these is the knowledge that the recipient participated in the preservation of the Betsy Ross House.


 

The Betsy Ross Homepage was launched on January 1, 1996, the 244th anniversary of Betsy Ross's birth.

Thanks to Toni Collins at the Betsy Ross House for inspiring and assisting on the creation of this site. Thanks also for the careful vetting she gave these pages. She was extremely generous with her help.

Original research by Jonathan Schmalzbach and Douglas Heller, Electronic Publishing Division of the Independence Hall Association.

Special thanks to Mark Biddle, IHA President, for his unquestioning trust and encouragement.
IHA

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