As long time readers know, I have a particular love for the Fourth of July, especially the kitschy items that were produced as a result of the Bicentennial in 1976. For the last few years I’ve been collecting a variety of patriotic items to decorate for the Fourth of July, and have intermittently decorated for the holiday, yet never once wrote about it! But seeing as the United States of America turns 250 this year, it was now or never!

Because I know I’m always getting new readers, I’ll say something I’ve said before and will for sure say again, and that is how I personally view Independence Day. For years the Fourth of July had been my favorite holiday. My parents divorced when I was three, and my mom and I moved around a lot, but for one reason or another, we always managed to celebrate the Fourth together with my dad at a house of one of his friends. Us, along with neighbors, gathered in their cul-de-sac to grill, lounge in their hot tub and shoot off fireworks. It was a communal event, something I rarely experienced. Fast forward to the Bush administration, the wars in the Middle East, and the rise of Nationalism over Patriotism. The Republicans had seemingly hijacked the American flag and the Fourth, and it only continued to get worse from there. I felt like I had little to celebrate come July, eventually giving up on the holiday altogether. It has only been within the last few years that I have been able to take the Fourth of July back for myself, with a new perspective.

As flawed as the Founding Fathers were, I admire their desire for change. Unhappy with their current government and situation, they chose fix what was wrong by creating a new form of government, one that was for the people by the people. They looked at how they could make America a better place, and acted upon it. America was born flawed, and continues to be so, but we can take a page from the Founding Fathers and work to make the United States a better, more equal place for all citizens. So instead of celebrating what America is, I choose to celebrate what is can be.

Scattered about you’ll see various references to Betsy Ross, and as a big fan of history I really want to talk about her. When it comes to Betsy Ross and the “first” American flag, I can’t help but think about a quote from Raiders of the Lost Ark. In speaking to his class, Dr. Jones says “This site also demonstrates one of the great dangers of archaeology. Not to life and limb, although that does sometimes take place. No, I’m talking about folklore.” Folklore can indeed be one of the most dangerous things when it comes to history. Folklore, while charming, becomes an issue when it is taken as fact, and that is the case with Betsy Ross and the American flag.

What is known about Betsy Ross is that she was born Elizabeth Griscom and grew up in Philadelphia. She later became an apprentice at an upholsterer, where she met and fell in love with John Ross, another apprentice. In 1773 the pair eloped, and opened their own upholstery shop in Philadelphia. Sadly John died shortly after their wedding. Widowed, Betsy continued the business, including making uniforms and other items for the Continental Army. Betsy remarried, and lost a second husband, and married for the third time in 1783. Between the two other marriages, she had several children. She passed away in 1836.

It isn’t until 1870, nearly a century after the Revolution, that her grandson, William Canby, regaled the Historical Society of Pennsylvania with the story that in the summer of 1776 George Washington along with two members of the Continental Congress came knocking on her door with a sketch of a new flag, which she gladly made for them. Canby only offered signed affidavits from Betsy’s daughter, niece, and a fellow grandchild, stating they heard Betsy tell them the story of creating the flag. However, there has been no documentation outside of the family’s claims. Historians have combed through various primary documents, such as letters and diaries, and have come up empty-handed to verify the Ross story. So, as much as I would love to believe that a woman played a key role in creating one of our country’s most beloved icons, the sad reality is that it may have never happened, and we may never know who actually made the first flag.

Whether you’re feeling patriotic or not this Independence Day, I suggest you take the time to reflect on the stories of our country’s origins, and ask yourself who was left out? How have we improved since then? How can we continue to make our country a better place? And then find ways to make those changes a reality! For me, I do it through learning, sharing information, volunteering, donating, protesting, and of course voting. Remember, it is more patriotic to find faults in our system, protest, speak up for what’s right, advocate for change, than to blindly “love” our country.

On the TV: 1776

Sources
Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Betsy Ross.” National Women’s History Museum.
Keim, Kevin and Peter. A Grand Old Flag: A History of the United States through its Flags. DK Publishing, 2007. Print.
“The Legend of Betsy Ross.” Smithsonian National Postage Museum.