According to Betsy’s grandson, William Canby, who first relayed the story to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1870, Betsy made the first American flag in the spring of1776 following a visit from General George Washington, Robert Morris, and her husband’s uncle, Colonel George Ross. During the visit, the men allegedly showed Betsy a sketch of a flag containing thirteen red-and-white strips and 6-pointed white stars, and asked if she could make it. Betsy accepted the offer, but suggested changing the 6-pointed stars to easier 5-pointed stars and arranging them in a circle – the very same design that was officially adopted by Congress as the national flag one year later on June 14, 1777.
Supported by affidavits from Betsy’s daughter, niece and granddaughter, William’s claim was published in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in 1873, and the story of the Betsy Ross Flag became forever-stitched into the fabric of American History.
Whether Betsy Ross designed and sewed the first American flag or not, the story appeals to Americans eager for stories about the revolution. Like Paul Revere and the Minutemen, Betsy Ross has become an icon of American history, and a patriotic role model for young girls.
Today, the familiar flag design, with its red-and-white stripes and thirteen white stars, is still commonly referred to as the Betsy Ross Flag, and it forever-remains a proud symbol of the American Revolution.