Do you want to know some Betsy Ross facts? If so, you definitely came to the right place. So, let me briefly introduce you to Betsy Ross. She is famous for sowing the first flag of America. This is, of course, very important to the history of the United States. There are some disagreements among historians on whether she really did sow the first flag. We will discuss that in this article!
Interesting Betsy Ross Facts
1. She was born as an 8th child in a family of 17 children!
Can you believe the number of siblings that Betsy Ross had? Personally, I am very sorry for the mom because that must have been very hard to be pregnant for 17 years! Also, could you imagine what it would be like as parents? It would be very hard to remember all the names of the children. Also, the 17th child will be miserable because he would have gotten all the hand-me-downs from his 16 older brothers and sisters! I cannot imagine being in a family of 17 children.
2. Her original name was not Betsy Ross.
The last name Ross was from her first husband, John Ross. Her birth name is Elizabeth Griscom, and her nickname was Betsy.
3. She is a New Year’s Day Baby.
She was born in January 1, 1752. She was born on a New Years Day! Not many people can say that.
4. She grew up in a Quaker family.
Quakers are known for emphasizing friendships, and their famous city is Philadelphia, which is “city of brotherly love.” Her great-grandfather came to the United States to be part of Penn’s holy experiment. Her family kept to the Quaker roots when Betsy was born, so she grew up in a Quaker neighborhood and in Quaker schools.
5. She married an Episcopal named John Ross.
After finishing school, Betsy was apprenticed to an upholsterer. There, she met John Ross, and they secretly married. This was a big change for Betsy because Quakers are not allowed to marry outside their faith. The consequences were grave. The Quaker community and her family disowned her.
6. She had three husbands.
One interesting fact about Betsy Ross is that she remarried twice. Her first husband was John Ross, where she got her famous last name. He died in 1776 in an explosion while guarding ammunition. Her second husband was Joseph Ashburn, who was a sea captain. However, he lost and was imprisoned. In this imprisonment, he died. Her third husband was the one that brought that Joseph Ashburn had died. His name was John Claypoole, who was imprisoned with Joseph Ashburn, but later was free. It is kind of ironic that she would marry the one that brought the news that her former husband has died.
7. Did she really sew the first flag? Historians are not sure.
Here are the Betsy Ross facts. First, there is no concrete evidence that she was the first one to sew the American flag. What we have is a speech by her grandson to a committee. He said that George Washington along with others visited her shop, and he a sketch of the flag to Betsy Ross. She then gave some suggestions, modified the sketch, and sewed it in her porch. Ross’s family members also have signed that they heard from Betsy that she had made the first flag of America. Afterward, she got requests from other places to sow the flag. So, you can decide for yourself if she really did sow the first flag with these facts about Betsy Ross.
8. She was a businesswoman in colonial America.
You might say, why is that important? In colonial times, it was because not many women had their own business on their own. It was unique for Betsy to have her own shop. She should be commended for keeping her own shop even in difficult circumstances of war and losing her husbands.
Like stated before, there are a lot of controversies surrounding whether or not Betsy Ross made the first flag. Regardless, she was a great woman with great ambition and strength. If you liked this article about Betsy Ross facts, check out facts about other historical figures in this page!
