A Banner Day - Betsy Ross

1752–1836

Everyone knows that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. Unless, of course, she didn’t. Modern historians point out that there’s little evidence to support the story, just a family tradition. But they can’t really disprove it, either.

We know that Betsy Ross was a professional upholsterer, good with a needle and thread. Her husband was an officer in Washington’s army, and her assigned pew at Christ Church in Philadelphia was right behind that of the Washingtons—so the general and the seamstress may have passed the peace. Records show that, years later, Betsy Ross was given material to make flags for American ships. So she was definitely a patriot and no stranger to flag making, whether or not her legend is true.

You might not know that Betsy Ross was also a woman of faith. Brought up in a Quaker home, she scandalized her family by eloping with John Ross, the son of an Anglican minister, and she was shunned by the Quaker meeting. (It’s ironic that Quakers, who had long fought for religious freedom, would take such a strong stand against a religiously mixed marriage.) John Ross died in battle in 1776, and Betsy’s second husband was captured by the British and died in a British prison. Her third husband lived well into the 1800s but suffered greatly from injuries sustained in the Revolution.

Late in life, Betsy reconnected with her Quaker roots, joining a Quaker meeting that was less rigid than the one that had shunned her. An avid Bible reader until she lost her eyesight, she then had her grandchildren read the Good Book to her.

The historical questions about Betsy’s flag making call to mind an intriguing Bible verse: “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God” (1 Peter 2:12). The point is, the pattern of your life tends to fill in the details. An honorable life is your best defense against false accusations. In Betsy’s case, while we may not have solid evidence on the flag story, we know she was a woman of faith and commitment, and so it only makes sense that she would pick up needle and thread to help the country she was devoted to.

So what story does your life tell?

Raise a flag for all the nations to see.

Isaiah 62:10