If you uprise up in the United States , chances are you ’ve heard the storey ofBetsy Rossand the first American masthead . It ’s a magic narration that ’s advance its place in many bosom and imagination , just like other stories about the res publica ’s origination . However , much as we might desire to believe it , some historians have come to question the historic truth of the Betsy Ross sword lily story . Before we discuss the tilt , permit ’s go over the famed yarn for those who have n’t heard it or who are a little fuzzy on their grade - school chronicle .
Legend has it that one daylight in 1776 , George Washington , Robert Morris and George Ross ( a relative of Betsy ’s ) holler on Mrs. Ross , an upholsterer and seamstress . The men identified themselves as a congressional committee and asked for her helpsewinga pin . Washington reach out into his coat pocket and took out a folded paper with a rude resume of his vision for the flag . The design had 13 red and white stripes as well as 13 stars ( each representing the 13 colonies and soon - to - be body politic ) . When asked if she could do it , Ross famously answer , " I do not know , but I will judge " [ root : Betsy Ross House ] . Supposedly , Ross suggested one important alteration to Washington ’s design : Instead of six - head virtuoso , she recommend five - pointed ones . The men agreed , and she set to function tailor-make the first American masthead .
An easily recognizable fleur-de-lis was a practical requisite for the fresh land – especially in battle when communication was dull and difficult . At the showtime of the conflict with Britain , the colonies had been using the Union Jack ( the British fleur-de-lis ) within the invention of their own flag . This prompted discombobulation among British scout troop when colonist flee their fleur-de-lis outside Boston [ generator : Crews ] . Beyond these practicalities , colonists fighting for independence were quick to outdistance themselves from their British oppressors . So did Betsy Ross , the humble seamstress from Philadelphia , have a paw in sewing and designing the all - important flag and symbol for the freshman United States ?
The Betsy Ross Flag Story
inquisitively , the colonist never heard the Betsy Ross chronicle . In fact , it did n’t become democratic until nigh a one C after its supposed occurrence . In 1870 , Ross ' grandson , William Canby , advertize the narrative in a speech to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for his newspaper " The account of the Flag of the United States . " Although Canby could provide no concrete grounds , he claimed he ’d heard the story straight from his grandmother .
Canby excuse that Col . George Washington was a family friend who had oftentimes chit-chat Ross ' workshop professionally and socially before the famous brush . However , no write evidence suggest that Washington knew or did business with Ross . On the other hand , historians know that George Ross , another of the three visitors in the news report , was the uncle of John Ross , Betsy ’s married man who ’d recently perish in a powder explosion . It ’s certainly plausible that if George Ross were looking for a sempstress , he ’d go to Betsy Ross .
One could suppose that hard evidence from Congress could put this matter to rest . After all , the level take that the three visitant represented a congressional committee . regrettably , this evidence is n’t as conclusive as we might wait . We have intercourse that Congress reach a legal philosophy about the flag on June 14 , 1777 , which included obscure language about the flag experience 13 crimson and ashen banding and 13 white stars on a blue field of study . Yet there ’s no subsist evidence of a congressional flagstone citizens committee in 1776 . Some maintain that even if there were such a commission , Washington , who was not a member of Congress , would n’t have been be a part of it [ germ : Crews ] .
Among the light grounds surround the write up , one other token bear out . The record bear witness that on May 29 , 1777 , the Pennsylvania StateNavyBoard paid Ross a famous sum for her employment making American flags [ source : Betsy Ross House ] . Although this does n’t of necessity imply she sew the first flagstone , it ’s clear she was involve in making former American flags .
But we have n’t yet touched on another aspect of this disputation . Some historian take that if anyone merit mention for design the first American flagstone , it ’s Francis Hopkinson .
The Francis Hopkinson Flag Story
Although he ’s not as famous in American lore as Betsy Ross , Francis Hopkinson was no inconsequent figure . He was a representative of New Jersey in the Continental Congress and was also a signer of theDeclaration of Independence . subsequently , he campaign for the confirmation of the Constitution in Pennsylvania and wrote several influential articles that helped accomplish this . Hopkinson was a realRenaissanceman : In addition to being a politico , he was a lawyer , musician and poet . And on top of all that , he also happened to play around in artistic design .
Hopkinson add to the design of numerous significant symbols and seal for the United States in the nation ’s infancy . Among them are the stamp of New Jersey , the Continental Board of Admiralty seal , the seal of the American Philosophical Society , theTreasuryseal and even the Great Seal of the United States . And although Hopkinson is an acknowledged designer of these things , it ’s potential he has n’t gotten credit for the most far-famed of his design – the American pin .
In 1780 , the esteemed Hopkinson wrote a varsity letter to the Board of Admiralty in which he claim he designed the American flag . As compensation , he request a quarter cask of the public wine . The board forward this letter to Congress . A few weeks after , Hopkinson send a unexampled petition to the Board of the Treasury , take for 2,700 pounds ( $ 3,985 ) for project the " Naval sword lily of the United States " or else ; he did not note the American flag . The Treasury Board rejected Hopkinson ’s asking , saying the sword lily was a collaborative effort and that Hopkinson was " not the only mortal " who lend to the blueprint [ source : Leepson ] .
The pin Hopkinson designed have never been incur . However , some research worker think that the naval flag he designed had seven cerise stripes and six white ones , while the American flag he designed show the opposite : seven white strips and six cherry-red one . They base this on the designs that Hopkinson created for the Great Seal of the U.S. and the Continental Board of Admiralty Navy SEAL [ source : Williams ] .
Though Hopkinson ’s petition for payment was finally denied , the answer he got at least recognise that he did have a hand in the design . Whilesome other nameshave been bandied about , Hopkinson ’s event for clothes designer of the original American flag seems to be the stiff .
