Betsy Ross is associated with the early history of the United States due to her legendary involvement in the creation of the American flag. While some details of her life and contributions are rooted in historical fact, much of her story has been shaped by legend.
Born Elizabeth Ashburn Ross on January 1, 1752, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Betsy was the eighth of seventeen children. She apprenticed as an upholsterer and seamstress, skills that would play a crucial role in her life.
In 1773, she married John Ross, a wealthy upholsterer and furniture maker, and they eventually settled in a house on Arch Street in Philadelphia. The Ross’s home was a modest yet comfortable brick house, which still stands today as an historic site open to the public.
The house served as both her family residence and her workshop, where she crafted textiles, upholstery, and decorative items like pennants, buntings, and banners.
The most famous aspect of Betsy Ross’s legacy is her alleged role in designing and making the first American flag. According to popular tradition, in 1776, George Washington and a committee of Continental Congress members approached her with a request to sew a new flag for the fledgling nation. The story, popularized in the nineteenth century, claims that Ross suggested adding stars to the existing flag design, and that she personally crafted the first flag featuring thirteen stars arranged in a circle. Many historians agree that the “circle design” was meant to symbolize unity among the original thirteen colonies.
There is little contemporary evidence to confirm Ross’s direct involvement with the flag, since the earliest known accounts of her role emerged decades after the Revolutionary War. Despite the lack of definitive proof, the Betsy Ross legend became a powerful symbol of one woman’s role in the fight for American independence.
The flag itself, known as the Betsy Ross flag, with its circle of thirteen stars, became our emblem during the American Revolution and beyond. It remained our national flag until 1795 when Vermont and Kentucky joined the union as our fourteenth and fifteenth states.
Betsy Ross’s house and the associated legend have been preserved over the years at her Philadelphia home, only a few blocks from Independence Hall. Over the years, general wear and tear left the house in dire need of restoration. In 1937, a Philadelphia radio entrepreneur, Atwater Kent, offered a $25,000 grant to be used toward the restoration of the house. On acceptance, the historical architect Richardson Okie, who had devoted much of his career to additions and restorations, contracted to do the work. In 1936 he had just completed the restoration of Pennsbury Manor (the home and estate of William Penn, the colonial proprietor of the Pennsylvania Colony) and was much in favor.
Throughout the restoration original elements were kept wherever possible. Otherwise, materials from demolished period homes were used. A new structure made from period bricks was added in the rear, and the front stairway and dormer were entirely replaced. The front doorway was moved to the opposite corner of the front room, and a new window was installed. Kent then purchased the two adjacent properties to develop a “civic garden.”
In 1941, the entire property, including the historic house and courtyard, were given to the city of Philadelphia.
Other improvements were completed in 1965 and 1974.
The Betsy Ross House is now a museum operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Visitors can explore the home, see period furnishings, and learn about Betsy’s life.
The museum is popular because the restoration returned the house to its eighteenth-century glory.
It is an interesting visit whether the legend is true historically or just another myth to generate patriotism.
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Postcards of the Betsy Ross home, many of which are interior photos, are common and any dealer with a good “Philadelphia” inventory will be happy to help you find some great cards. Many Postcard History readers are familiar with Mike Roberts postcards; the card below is a Roberts card – it is my favorite.
Pencil/ink, charcoal, and watercolor cards are also common.
Betsy was originally Elizabeth Griscom. Ashburn was her second husband’s surname, and she outived John Claypoole, her third and final spouse, by nineteen years.
I enjoyed this article, having been to the home years ago. Was wondering about the Mike Roberts postcard you use for illustration–are there restrictions on using his cards? I’ve never been able to find anyone who can provide a good answer. I wanted to use Roberts cards as illustrations in my forthcoming book on Gettysburg postcards, but decided to play it safe.
Good informative article.