Betsy Ross Tag Sewed in The American Flag

I last wrote about the American Revolution Solution, when Thirteen Colonies (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations)  declared independence from King George, III – Great Britain -- on July 2, 1776, the date the Declaration of Independence was approved in a closed session of Congress. July 4 commemorates a day of victory and the genesis of the United States of America. 

Prior to the historic event, the 21-year-old, talented and beautiful, Elizabeth Griscom (1752-1836) was a newlywed. Raised as a Quaker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the young woman developed handiwork trade skills under the tutelage of William Webster, who owned an upholstery shop.  John Ross, a handsome, Episcopal apprentice and coworker, fell in love with Elizabeth – Betsy.

The two, young lovebirds absconded to New Jersey, marrying without the blessing of either the Quaker church or family members (1773). Thus Betsy was expelled from the church, whether or not she was Breaking Amish.

The more things change, the more things stay the same. The entrepreneurial couple started their own upholstery business, though Betsy was left to devise personal and business survival tactics because her husband joined the American Revolution. The couple had been married for two years when John Ross died as a result of a gunpowder explosion. Generating a brand new country couldn’t have been easy, neither on paper, on the battleground, behind closed, political doors nor in Betsy Ross’s sewing room.

George Washington (1732-1799) and the Second Continental Congress had developed a prototype for the American Flag. Keep in mind that Mr. Washington, an English subject, was raised in Colonial Virginia. He had become a notable warrior and statesman.  Betsy Ross was also notable master seamstress in her day.  I imagine discourse – based on my reading her grandson’s (William J. Canby) account about the flag’s genesis -- went something like this:

“Mrs. Ross, if you’ll excuse our barging into your home and place of work, Colonel Ross has mentioned your talent as a seamstress on several occasions,” said the confident military officer donned in military regalia.  The golden epaulets emphasized the span of his huge shoulders.

“You’re too kind, Colonel Washington,” said the modest, young woman.  The uncle of her deceased husband, Colonel Ross, had led the small committee of congress to Ross’s upholstery shop.

“We have a pattern we’ve scribbled on paper. We’ve agreed on the details.  Now we need skilled hands to bring the symbol of our nation to fruition,” said Washington, unfolding a piece of tattered paper like a schoolboy.  Betsy quizzically looked at the paper, eyeing the drawing this way and that

“What’s the meaning of the six points on each of the thirteen stars?” she asked.  The group of men shuffled and shrugged, looking to one another for a technical answer.

 “That’s what I thought,” Betsy said, giggling. “Stars generally have five points, though six points can be appealing.  Allow me to see what I can do to help you,” she said, retreating to her sewing parlor.  Historical documents cite that Mrs. Ross directly conferred with Colonel Washington – not yet president – and other statesmen on the design of the American flag.  The evolution of the American flag depicts the evolution of the United States after transitional events, like the addition of each, new state: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagfact.html.               

DDD-F-416F proffers Federal standards and technical guidance for the U.S. National flag’s design and construction, including proportion, fabric and thread. Standards also specify three particular colors: old glory red, white and old glory blue described in The Standard Color Reference of America: http://www.usflag.org/flag.specs.html

            The proper display of the flag is also delineated: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf

Of course, some contention remains that Mrs. Ross had nothing to do with the manufacture of the first American Flag – her participation reigns as myth.  Either way, I salute Mrs. Ross, for she possessed a sewing talent to which I can only aspire AND I salute Old Glory because I’m proud to be an American.  Happy Independence Day!