Betsy Ross

On January 1st, 1752, a child was born. The baby girl’s name was Elizabeth Griscom. “Betsy” was her nickname. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, we know her as Betsy Ross.

Betsy’s childhood was busy. She went to Quaker church on Thursdays and Sundays. She also took care of her younger sisters and brothers. The busy girl had everlasting chores, too. Sometimes she had to cook the meals or wash the dishes. The garden had to be tended. She had to make her bed and sweep the floor. Betsy, her mother, and sisters had to make their own clothes. She became skillful at sewing.

The Griscoms were Quaker, a religion. The Quakers believed in living a plain, peaceful and simple life. The Quaker children were not allowed to play cards, listen to music, or dance. They played hide-and-seek or jump rope. Quaker girls went to school. At Betsy's Quaker school, she learned to read, write and sew. Quaker people were not allowed to marry people from another religion. Betsy went to an upholstery shop to be an apprentice. There she met John Ross, and they fell in love. John and Betsy married on November 4th, 1773. He was not a Quaker. After they married, Betsy could no long pray in the Quaker church. They attended the Christ Church, instead.

The Griscoms were Quaker, a religion. The Quakers believed in living a plain, peaceful and simple life. The Quaker children were not allowed to play cards, listen to music, or dance. They played hide-and-seek or jump rope. Quaker girls went to school. At Betsy's Quaker school, she learned to read, write and sew. Quaker people were not allowed to marry people from another religion. Betsy went to an upholstery shop to be an apprentice. There she met John Ross, and they fell in love. John and Betsy married on November 4th, 1773. He was not a Quaker. After they married, Betsy could no long pray in the Quaker church. They attended the Christ Church, instead.

Betsy and John Ross worked in their own upholstery shop. One day, Paul Revere told everyone in Philadelphia about the Boston Tea Party. The people of Philadelphia did not want to pay higher taxes for tea. They dumped all of the tea into the Boston Harbor to protest. The British and colonists were angry at each other. Battles started near Boston in 1775. John Ross joined the Pennsylvanian Army. He guarded gunpowder. When it exploded on January 21st, 1776, he died. Betsy ran the shop alone.

George Washington, the leader of the army, used a red-and white striped flag with a small British flag in the corner. When the British saw this they thought he wanted to surrender, so Washington decided that they needed a new flag. Some people from the flag committee went to Betsy’s shop with a sketch of the first American flag. The flag was square-shaped with thirteen red-and-white stripes and thirteen stars, one for each colony, in the top left corner, The stars had six points, and Betsy suggested five points, and for it to be rectangular. They agreed. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776. The colonies became the United States of America.

In 1777, Betsy married Joseph Ashburn. In 1777, Joseph and Betsy’s first daughter Zillah was born. John Claypoole, a friend, told her that Joseph had died in an English prison. Around that time, Zillah died, and Elizabeth, their second child was born.

John and Betsy’s friendship grew. They married in 1783. Together, they had five children. Their names were Clarissa, Susannah, Rachel, Jane, and Harriet. Harriet died as a baby.

John Claypoole died of illness in 1817.

Betsy retired at the age of seventy-five. Sadly, this brave patriot died on January 30th. 1836.


4/21/2010