Betsy Ross and the Flag of America

The seamstress Betsy Ross has a special place in American history. According to tradition, this American sewed the very first flag of the United States.

It is not clear whether Betsy Ross, who was born on January 1, 1752, actually sewed the flag. Hard evidence is lacking. The American is in any case immortalized in a famous painting by Edward Percy Moran (see above). It shows Betsy Ross, along with two of her children, presenting the flag to George Washington , Commander in Chief of the Colonies in the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States.

Betsy Ross flag

The first version of the American flag, also known as the Betsy Ross flag, features thirteen stars. These symbolize the thirteen colonies that separated from Great Britain in 1776. Later, as more colonies joined the United States, more and more stars appeared. Because America currently has fifty states, the flag now also has fifty stars. The thirteen stripes still symbolize the thirteen original colonies.

On June 14, 1777 , the Stars and Stripes , the name of the current flag, was officially adopted by Congress as the flag of the United States.