Betsy Ross
by Erin

My name is Elizabeth Griscom. I am called Betsy by my family and friends. I am the eighth child of seventeen children. I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 1, 1752 to my mother Rebecca and my father Samuel. I love to sew and consider myself a very good seamstress. My family and I belong to a peaceful religious group called the Quakers. I sew the white caps that Quaker girls wear every day. I also sew flags, pillows, sheets and more. I’ve been told that my needlework is the most beautiful in all of Philadelphia, and I have won many prizes for it. I am responsible with chores such as sweeping, and feeding my younger siblings. I have reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. My hair is very long and curly, and I am very thin. I must wear a blue and white dress every day.

When I was a teenager, my parents agreed that I could work outside our home. They agreed that I could work for an upholsterer. While working, I met John Ross. We fell in love, and in November of 1773, we married. John Ross was not a Quaker. At first, my family and friends of the Quaker group disapproved of this marriage outside of the Quaker faith because this marriage would mean I could no longer be a Quaker. In 1776, John joined the army. While guarding a storehouse full of ammunition, it exploded. John was badly injured. I nursed him with herbs and remedies. Despite my care, John died. Although I was very sad, I continued working alone in a shop on Arch Street. I was now a widow.

I was married three times in my life and was widowed three times. After John Ross died, I married Joseph Ashburn in 1777, and we had two children. During a sea battle with England, Joseph was taken prisoner. In 1782, I learned from a friend named John Claypoole that Joseph had died in the English prison. Soon John Claypoole became my third husband. We had five children together. (All girls) In 1817, John became ill and died. When he died, I wept day and night. I felt my heart break into pieces.

General Washington, Commander in Chief of the army, wanted the colonies to have a flag. George Washington, Robert Morris and John’s uncle, George Ross called a meeting. General Washington drew a picture of the flag they were talking about. It had thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars against a blue background standing for the thirteen colonies. White for purity and liberty, red for courage, and blue for braveness. John’s uncle suggested I make the flag. I was so excited! When they asked me if their drawing needed any changes, I said it would look much better being a rectangle than a square flag and it would be much easier to cut five pointed stars rather than the six pointed stars which he had drawn. They agreed with me and relied on me to make the new United States flag. I took this job very seriously and got right to work. In June of 1777, my flag was accepted at a meeting.

An adventure I would love to have happen to me is to marry a famous man. Not that I didn’t love my three husbands, but after my third husband died, at least I would not have been left so lonely and sad. If I married a President, I would be considered the First Lady. I would have great opportunities to meet many people and would be able to share with people my talent of sewing, and also share my very exciting adventure of creating the first American flag!

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