Presidents' Day: 7 myths about George Washington

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, February 19, 2024

Asking Betsy Ross to make the first American flag

An 1893 depiction of Betsy Ross, a supporter of the American Revolution who, according to legend, designed the very first United States flag. | Wikimedia Commons

Admittedly, this is more about Betsy Ross than George Washington. Nevertheless, according to the apocryphal story, Washington was one of the people who asked her in 1776 to design a new American flag.

“During this meeting, she was allegedly presented with a sketch of a flag that featured 13 red and white stripes and 13 six-pointed stars, and was asked if she could create a flag to match the proposed design,” explained History.com.

“Ross agreed, but suggested a couple of changes, including arranging the stars in a circle and reducing the points on each star to five instead of six.”

The story first appears in print in 1873, with the source being Ross’ grandson, William Canby. However, the actual historical evidence for the event is lacking.

“No official documentation has been found to confirm that Betsy Ross was responsible for creating the very first flag, but it is conceivable that Colonel George Ross — a signer of the Declaration of Independence and her deceased husband's uncle — recommended her for the job,” continued History.com.

“Some historians attribute the design of the first flag to Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence, who also played a role in designing seals for various departments within the U.S. government.”