BETSY ROSS AND THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG: SYMBOLISM AND PRACTICALITY CONVERGE

Elizabeth “Betsy” Ross is one of the most famous women attached to the history of the Revolutionary War for one reason: Betsy is said to have sewn the first American flag. Her story is an iconic piece of America’s story, living somewhere in the space between folklore and history, and is one of the most famous pieces of fiber arts history to come out of Philadelphia. Her life and work are memorialized within the walls of the Betsy Ross House, a museum and living history site that welcomes more than 250,000 visitors every year. After collaborating with researchers from Mount Vernon, staff at the Betsy Ross House have been able to further bolster claims that Betsy herself was, in fact, responsible for the sewing of the first American flag, a claim doubted by some historians due to a lack of historical evidence tying her to George Washington or to the flag committee. Preexisting business ties between Betsy and the then Major Washington have since been verified by historical ledgers recovered at Mount Vernon, helping to further corroborate the original claims by Betsy’s descendants that she sewed the first flag.

But as explained by Desta Pulley, Audience Engagement Manager at the Betsy Ross House, it is believed her role went beyond simply completing a predetermined design at Washington’s behest.

“The way the story goes, Betsy was said to have made three design suggestions to Washington,” Pulley explained. “So, Washington [and] the flag committee approached her, with a design for a flag. The initial design was a square flag with six pointed stars instead of five pointed stars and the stars were not arranged in any sort of pattern…the suggestions that Betsy said she made were making [the flag] rectangular, making the stars arranged in shape (they landed on a circle as the shape), and sewing five pointed stars instead of six pointed stars.”

Her suggestions were heeded, with the first official national flag including all of the design changes she suggested to Washington. Pulley explained flags in this era were used for much more than symbolic or ceremonial purposes, as they accompanied troops and played an important role in the military maneuvers of the day. This first flag was likely commissioned for just that purpose.

But what about the rest of the flag’s design, beyond the changes Betsy suggested? Is there further symbolism to be found beyond the 13 stars representing the 13 colonies? The answer is slightly complicated.

“Color wise, the red, white, and blue, a lot of people now say, ‘oh red symbolizes bravery and white symbolizes purity,’ that meaning was assigned later,” Pulley clarified. The public perception that the flag’s colors were chosen to represent specific values to be held dear by the American people likely comes from the words of the secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson. Thomson was quoted sometime after the creation of the flag, proposing each color carry a symbolic value, with white representing purity and innocence, red representing hardiness and valor, and blue representing vigilance, perseverance, and justice. So, while technically those meanings were suggested by a government official, it certainly was not from Washington.  

“[The meaning] was retroactively discussed. The real reason is at the time, we were under British rule, [and] red, white, and blue were the colors of the British flag, so Washington wanted colors that would be the same colors, but a different design,” Pulley said, going on to explain it was in part due the fact those colors were easily accessible at the time, but partially also a subversive act meant to poke at the British. In this case, economic practicality and symbolism walked side by side, each pushing the flag committee to the same conclusion about the design of the nation’s flag.

This first flag certainly used symbolism to tell a story and communicate a historical perspective, but not in the same way many other pieces of fiber arts do. The flag as a whole was the symbol, not the single elements contained within. The commission and creation of the flag was a treasonous act and by agreeing to create it, Betsy helped to fashion one of most enduring symbols of American independence, an image with immense importance that makes the final piece so much more than simply the sum of its parts. 

The exterior of the Betsy Ross House, the museum and living history site educating visitors on the life and work of Betsy Ross during her time in Philadelphia.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talia Pugliese