Myth, legond or lie. Did Betsy Ross design the American Flag?
As I assume you know, given the details you included, the story of George Washington coming to Elizabeth Ross to sew the “Stars and Stripes” first came to light during a speech by her grandson, William Canby, nearly 100 years after the event was supposed to have taken place. While historians have found proof that Betsy Ross did, indeed, sew flags (ship’s colors) for some ships in PA, there is no documentation or proof that she sewed the original Stars and Stripes. In fact, it seems unlikely that she did, given that Washington was known to still be looking for a national standard flag some years after 1777, the set time of the legend. …. I think it’s maybe a little harsh to call it a lie, but the story certainly doesn’t have much basis in fact. This is one of the early “iconoclastic” lessons I do with my students toward the beginning of the year. Some sites that detail the controversy are: http://www.usflag.org
