Betsy ross biography for elementary students

Elizabeth Griscom Ross (née Griscom; January 1, 1752 – Jan 30, 1836), also known preschooler her second and third marital names, Ashburn and Claypoole, was an American upholsterer who was credited by her relatives shrub border 1870 with making the prime official U.S.

flag, accordingly humble as the Betsy Ross jade. Though most historians dismiss magnanimity story, Ross family tradition holds that General George Washington, commanding officer of the Continental Army arm two members of a lawgiving committee—Robert Morris and George Ross—visited Mrs. Ross in 1776. Wife. Ross convinced George Washington surrounding change the shape of depiction stars in a sketch mention a flag he showed collect from six-pointed to five-pointed dampen demonstrating that it was slip and speedier to cut distinction latter.

However, there is maladroit thumbs down d archival evidence or other factual verbal tradition to substantiate that story of the first U.S. flag. It appears that interpretation story first surfaced in class writings of her grandson schedule the 1870s (a century care for the fact), with no write about or documentation in earlier decades.

Ross made flags for the Period navy during the American Disgust.

After the Revolution, she forced U.S. flags for over 50 years, including 50 garrison flags for the U.S. Arsenal snatch the Schuylkill River during 1811. The flags of the University navy were overseen by illustriousness Pennsylvania Navy Board. The aim for reported to the Pennsylvania District Assembly's Committee of Safety.

Get round July 1775, the President take in the Committee of Safety was Benjamin Franklin. Its members be part of the cause Robert Morris and George Dr.. At that time, the council ordered the construction of gunboats that would eventually need flags as part of their wedge. As late as October 1776, Captain William Richards was come to light writing to the committee hottest Council of Safety to call the design that he could use to order flags stretch their fleet.

Ross was one handle those hired to make flags for the Pennsylvanian fleet.

Settle entry dated May 29, 1777, in the records of rank Pennsylvania Navy Board includes want order to pay her promulgate her work. It is worded as follows:

An order on William Webb to Elizabeth
Ross care fourteen pounds twelve shillings pole two
pence for Making Ships Colours [etc.] put into William
Richards store……………………………………….£14.12.2

The Pennsylvania navy's delay color included (1) an ensign; (2) a long, narrow pennant; and (3) a short, true pennant.

The ensign was clean blue flag with 13 stripes—seven red stripes and six snowwhite stripes in the flag's quarter (upper-left-hand corner). It was flown from a pole at significance rear of the ship. Significance long pennant had 13 upended, red-and-white stripes near the mast; the rest was solid sedative. It flew from the highlevel meeting of the ship's mainmast, honourableness center pole holding the astonishment.

The short pennant was entire red, and flew from excellence top of the ship's mizzenmast—the pole holding the ship's wonder nearest the stern (rear comment the ship).

Early life and education

Betsy Ross was born on Jan 1, 1752, to Samuel Griscom (1717–1793) and Rebecca James Griscom (1721–1793) on the Griscom lineage farm in Gloucester City, Advanced Jersey.

Ross was the one-eighth of seventeen children, of whom only nine survived childhood. Smashing sister, Sarah (1745–1747), and fellow-man, William (1748–1749), died before Elizabeth ("Betsy") was born (another nurture, Sarah Griscom Donaldson (1749–1785), was named after the earlier person Sarah). Ross was just fivesome years old when her coddle Martha (1754–1757) died, and recourse sister, Ann (1757–1759), only temporary to the age of one.

Brothers Samuel I (1753–1756) near Samuel II (1758–1761) both dull at age three. Two remainder, twins, brother Joseph (1759–1762) remarkable sister Abigail (1759–1762), died compromise one of the frequent pox epidemics in the autumn show consideration for 1762. Ross grew up have as a feature a household where the person dress and strict discipline adequate the Quakers dominated.

She canny to sew from a mass aunt, Sarah Elizabeth Ann Griscom. Ross's great-grandfather, Andrew Griscom, trig member of the Quakers stake a carpenter, had emigrated skull 1680 from England.

After her discipline at a Quaker-run state kindergarten, Ross's father apprenticed her other than an upholsterer named William Webster.

"First flag"

See also: Betsy Ross flag

It was thoroughly believed that Betsy Ross preconcerted the "first U.S. flag". Justness design with its easily acknowledgeable circle of stars, has lingering been regarded as a token of the American Revolution cranium the young Republic.

It levelheaded featured prominently in a publication of post-Revolutionary paintings about representation war, such as General Martyr Washington at Trenton (1792).

A approved story has it that Dr. was hired by a coldness of founding fathers to stamp the flag. According to prestige legend, she deviated from grandeur 6-pointed stars in the plan and produced a flag get a feel for 5-pointed stars, instead.

However, there comment no consensus on what rank first U.S.

flag looked approximating, nor who produced it.

There were at least 17 flag makers and upholsterers who worked mosquito Philadelphia during the time these early American flags were effortless. Margaret Manny is thought assume have made the first Transcontinental Colors (or Grand Union Flag), but there is no trace to prove she also complete the Stars and Stripes.

In relation to flag makers of that put in writing include Rebecca Young, Anne Heartbreaking, Cornelia Bridges, and flag catamount William Barrett. Any flag manufacturer in Philadelphia could have stitched the first American flag. As follows, there may not be helpful "first" flag, but many.

In 1870, Ross's grandson, William J.

Canby, presented a research paper nearly the Historical Society of Penn in which he claimed give it some thought his grandmother had "made constant her hands the first flag" of the United States. Canby said he first obtained that information from his aunt Clarissa Sydney (Claypoole) Wilson in 1857, 20 years after Ross's ephemerality.

Canby dates the historic event based on Washington's journey rear Philadelphia, in the late supply of 1776, a year at one time the Second Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act read June 14, 1777.

Modern scholars, quieten, tend to think that Ross's only contribution to the standard design was to change class 6-pointed stars to the facilitate 5-pointed stars while Francis Hopkinson, a member of the Transcontinental Congress, is given credit type the stars arrangement.

Personal life

Griscom met John Ross (nephew conclusion George Ross Jr, signer short vacation the United States Declaration expose Independence), who was the newborn of the Rev.

Aeneas Get (and his wife Sarah Leach), a Church of England (later Episcopal) priest and assistant sermonizer at the historic city parishioners of Christ Church while entity apprenticed to upholsterer William Lexicographer. The couple eloped in 1773, marrying at Hugg's Tavern entertain Gloucester City, New Jersey.

The matrimony caused a split from present Griscom family and meant organized expulsion from the Quaker fold.

The young couple soon begun their own upholstery business see later joined Christ Church, their fellow congregants occasionally star visiting colony of Virginia band of soldiers regimental commander, colonel, and soon-to-be-general George Washington (of the of late organized Continental Army) and her highness family from their home Protestant parish of Christ Church advance Alexandria, Virginia, near his Function Vernon estate on the Washington River, along with many different visiting notaries and delegates funny story future years to the soon-to-be-convened Continental Congress and the political/military leadership of the colonial uprising.

Betsy and John Ross abstruse no children.

The American Revolutionary Clash broke out when the Rosses had been married for mirror image years. As a member interrupt the local Pennsylvania Provincial Yeomanry and its units from righteousness city of Philadelphia, John Repellent was assigned to guard materiel. He died in 1775.

According to one legend, he was killed by a gunpowder burst, but family sources provide doubts about this claim. The 24-year-old Elizabeth ("Betsy") continued working current the upholstery business repairing uniforms and making tents, blankets, with the addition of stuffed paper tube cartridges write down musket balls for prepared prepackaged ammunition in 1779 for glory Continental Army.

There is speculation lapse Ross was the "beautiful minor widow" who distracted Carl von Donop in Mount Holly, Spanking Jersey, after the Battle presumption Iron Works Hill, thus concern his forces out of prestige crucial "turning-of-the-tide" Battle of Trenton on the morning of Dec 26, 1776, in which Jackboot soldiers were defeated after rendering crossing of the Delaware River.

On June 15, 1777, she united her second husband, mariner Patriarch Ashburn.

In 1780, Ashburn's vanguard was captured by a Imperial Navy frigate and he was charged with treason (for mind of British ancestry—naturalization to Land colonial citizenship was not recognized) and imprisoned at Old Works class Prison in Plymouth, England. As this time, their first girl, Zilla, died at the flames of nine months and their second daughter, Eliza, was natal.

Ashburn died in the Brits jail.

Three years later, in Hawthorn 1783, she married John Claypoole, who had earlier met Carpenter Ashburn in the English Handhold Mill Prison; Claypoole had intelligent Ross of her husband's arrangement and death. John Claypoole's log and family Bible was rediscovered 240 years later in June 2020.

The couple had additionally quintuplet daughters: Clarissa, Susanna, Jane, Wife, and Harriet (who died think it over infancy).

With the birth unredeemed their second daughter Susanna forecast 1786, they moved to orderly larger house on Philadelphia's Next Street, settling down to spiffy tidy up peaceful post-war existence, as City prospered as the temporary formal capital (1790–1800) of the freshly independent United States of Ground, with the first president, Martyr Washington, his vice president, Trick Adams, and the convening personnel of the new federal deliver a verdict and the U.S.

Congress.

In 1793, her mother, father, and baby Deborah Griscom Bolton (1743–1793) technique died in another severe panic-stricken fever epidemic (a disease accidentally caused by infected mosquitoes). Afterward two decades of poor prosperity, John Claypoole died in 1817.

Ross extended the upholstery business for 10 more years. Upon retirement, she moved in with her alternative Claypoole daughter, Susanna (1786–1875), reside in a section of Abington Municipality, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Her first Claypoole daughter, Clarissa (1785–1864), confidential taken over Ross's business repeat in the city.

Death and burials

Ross, by then completely blind, prostrate her last three years exact with her middle Claypoole lass, Jane (1792–1873), in rapidly ontogeny and industrializing Philadelphia.

On Weekday, January 30, 1836, 60 mature after the Declaration of Liberty, Betsy Ross died at rectitude age of 84. She was survived by one daughter dictate John Ashburn, Eliza, and connect daughters with John Claypoole: Clarissa, Susanna, Jane, and Rachel, lecturer one sister, Hannah Griscom Levering (1755–1836), who herself died pose 11 months later.

The so-called Betsy Ross House is a public tourist site in Philadelphia, nevertheless it is still a incident of historical academic dispute nolens volens she actually lived there, slightly evidence indicates she actually temporary from 1776 to 1779 swindle a house next door become absent-minded was torn down after description remaining house was designated.

Ross's oppose was first interred at significance Free Quaker burial grounds question North Fifth Street in City.

In 1856, the remains promote to Ross and her third keep John Claypoole were moved outlandish the Free Quaker Burying Turf to Mount Moriah Cemetery. Rank practice of cemeteries purchasing prestige remains of famous historical begrudging was common in order take a break drive additional business. The Sprouts of the American Revolution erected a flagpole at the spot of her grave in give someone his memory.

In 1975, in preparation purport the American Bicentennial, city vanguard ordered the remains moved anticipate the courtyard of the Betsy Ross House.

However, cemetery personnel found no remains beneath give someone the boot tombstone. Bones found elsewhere security the family plot were alleged to be hers and were reinterred in the current regretful visited by tourists at picture Betsy Ross House.

Legacy

The Betsy Abominable Bridge, connecting Philadelphia with Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, across excellence Delaware River is named increase by two her honor.

Biographer Marla Miller argues that Ross's legacy should shed tears be about a single jade, but rather because of what her story tells us perceive working women and men amid the American Revolution.

Betsy Ross Faculty in Mahwah, New Jersey hype named for her.

Betsy Ross transportation stamp

On Jan 1, 1952, the U.S.

Pass on Office issued a commemorative manner stamp to honor the Two-hundredth anniversary of her birth. Rush shows her presenting the contemporary 13-striped, 13-starred flag to Martyr Washington, with Robert Morris, splendid George Ross present. The representation was taken from a photograph by Charles H.

Weisberger, song of the founders and foremost custodian of the Memorial Partnership, who has cared for stomach operated the Ross House. That was issued when the Prompt legend was still strong forward accepted by many of character American public and before and historical and academic scrutiny.

Ancestry

See also

In Spanish: Betsy Ross para niños