Betsy Ross

When Betsy was 21, she ran away because she wanted to marry John Ross. They moved to Philadelphia. Betsy made clothes and furniture. She had a shop in the city. John was in the army.

Betsy was a friend of George Washington. She sewed buttons on his coats. She went to his home for dinner. She sat next to him in church. They talked and talked. They both wanted to be free from the English. England and the colonies went to war. George was in charge of the army.

The army won, and the people wanted a flag. It is said that Betsy was asked to make it. George Washington wanted it to have one star for each colony. He wanted the stars to have six points. She said she would make the flag, but the stars had to have five points. She worked hard to make the flag. It was red, white, and blue. It had red and white stripes. She made a flag with 13 stars. Each star was for one colony.

Whether she made the first flag or not, Betsy Ross was an important woman in history.