The famous Betsy Ross flag design might be a historical myth

Cultures · Published 1 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We often imagine Philadelphia upholsterer Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag under George Washington's direction. However, modern historians find little evidence for this meeting, suggesting the iconic circular star pattern may actually be a much later invention of 19th-century painters.

The legend of Betsy Ross claims she was commissioned by a committee including George Washington to create a new U.S. flag, specifically replacing six-pointed stars with five-pointed ones. While Ross was a documented Philadelphia upholsterer who produced goods for the Continental forces, scholars note that Washington had actually left Congress in 1775 to lead the army, making him an unlikely head of a design committee in 1776. Furthermore, no contemporary diaries or letters from figures like Robert Morris or George Ross mention such a meeting.

The 'Betsy Ross' design—featuring 13 stars in a circle—appears to have gained popularity much later. The 1870 presentation by Ross's grandson, William J. Canby, is often cited as the origin of the story, but the specific circular arrangement only became widely associated with her through 19th-century art. For instance, Charles Weisgerber’s 1893 painting 'Birth of Our Nation's Flag' helped cement this imagery in the public consciousness, likely drawing from earlier flag illustrations found in scholarly texts.

The actual Flag Act of 1777 was quite vague, specifying only 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a blue canton, without mandating a circular pattern. While some historians argue the flag was a product of many hands, including makers like Margaret Manny or Francis Hopkinson, the 'Ross' version remains a powerful symbol of American entrepreneurship and the contributions of women during the Revolution, even if the specific design details remain unproven.

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