Betsy Ross

If you ask who made the first American flag, most people will probably say Betsy Ross. However, because no written record has been found substantiating the fact, it remains debatable. Still, legend says that, in 1776, George Washington went to her to ask her to design a flag using stars to represent the colonies that he hoped would become states. Tradition also says she changed the six-pointed stars to five-pointed ones for the design.
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Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia

The information we have comes mainly from her family, especially her grandson. Elizabeth had been born in 1752. After she finished attending a Quaker public school, her father apprenticed her to an upholsterer, where she learned to sew. Betsy continued working in the upholstery business during the Revolutionary War, repairing uniforms, making tents, and producing blankets for the Continental Army.

Whether or not she really made the first flag for what would become a new nation, her name as been remembered in history. In 1952, the United States Post Office issued a stamp to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth and commemorating her contribution to American history.

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