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The Continental Congress of the United States of America established a na- tional flag of stars and stripes 243 years ago on 6/14/1777. It has since be- come the most recogniza- ble flag in the world according to gettysburgflag.com/americanflag.pdp. It has evolved 26 times over the years to become the current design of 13 stripes and 50 stars, that we know today. Let’s delve into the history of our great national icon. Originally, the Colonial American Flag was pat- terned after the Grand Union flag carried into battle against the British by the Colonial Army during the War of Independence. It consisted of 13 stars and 13 stripes in honor of the 13 original American Colonies. Until that time each colony and militia carried many in- dividual flags of their designs. At one time the configuration evolved 15 stripes and 15 stars with additional colonies entering the United States. In 1818 Congress voted on a resolve that the flag would revert to 13 stripes and that only stars would be added for new states. Congressman Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey is credited by historians as the original designer of our flag. It is said to have been sewn by Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross, as is widely accepted by his- torians. Betsy was a fourth generation America born on January 1, 1752 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Samuel Griscom and Rebecca James Griscom, the 8 th of 17 children. Betsy’s first husband, John Ross, was killed dur- ing the start of the Revolutionary War. Together they ran an upholstery business which she took over com- pletely after his death. She made flags for the citizens of Pennsylvania. At the time of the signing of The Dec- laration of Independence in 1776, the flag of the United States was The Grand Union Jack. That flag repre- sented the country’s ties to England and stood until the Flag Resolution of the Second Continental Congress. In early June 1777 George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris, known as the Committee of Three, visited the Ross upholstery business. Mr. Washington presented Betsy with the ruff drawing of the proposed flag with stars of 5 points instead of 6. Betsy Ross sewed it into history. She and her family made many garrison, “new” Philadelphia, and Indian Department flags. Betsy married three times and had many children and grandchildren. She died on January 30, 1836 of natural causes at the age of 84 in Philadelphia. (www.thefamouepeople.com/ ) 4 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Fall 2020 OUR AMERICAN FLAG By Lynne Adams Barzé www.author-writer-poet.net