Elizabeth Griscom was born in 1752 in the colony of New Jersey. She was known as an upholsterer and outlived three husbands. I know, I just found that fact interesting. She gave birth to 7 children. But she is known to us for something else that is just as significant as raising children.
Legend has it that, Betsy Ross went to George Washington to convince him to change the design of the six-pointed start to a five-pointed star. She let it be known that would be easier to sew. Ross spent much of her adult life sewing US flags for different garrisons. It is said she designed the flag we started using in 1776 by putting the stars of the colonies in a circle and numbering the stripes to equal the 13 colonies.
Ross, whatever the legend was, ended up contributing largely to the freedoms we hold today. Her first two husbands died in the Revolutionary War and she, herself, worked tirelessly during the war sewing flags for our military.
The Pennsylvania Navy Board hired her to make their flags and the order read like this:
An order on William Webb to Elizabeth
Ross for fourteen pounds twelve shillings and two
pence for Making Ships Colours [etc.] put into William
Richards store……………………………………….£14.12.2
Ross had a modest upbringing in a Quaker community although later left this community when she married her first husband. She then attended Christ Church where she presumably met George Washington.
There is a popular tourist site in Philadelphia known as the Betsy Ross House. This is said to be a home she lived in though nothing has been definitively proven.
The facts do remain that Betsy Ross lived, married three husbands and bore seven children. In the midst of these events, she helped sew flag after flag for a fledgling country. Her patriotism was never questioned even if her place of residence was.