When it comes to heroes of the American Revolution, we all have the key actors down pat at this point. Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Military leaders like George Washington and Benedict Arnold (that traitorous coot!). Civilian patriots like Paul Revere and Thomas Paine. As for the women? There’s pretty much just one proudly-touted name: Betsy Ross.
Well I’m here to say that it’s high time we give the boot to old Betsy. It may seem like cruel treatment for America’s original sweetheart, but we need to finally be honest with ourselves. For one thing, the touted version of Betsy Ross is pure myth. More importantly, it’s a pretty shitty myth.
Let’s examine this apocryphal piece of Colonial lore.
Betsy the Magical Seamstress
So the classic version goes like this: There was a seamstress named Betsy Ross. George Washington needed a flag ASAP for the new Founding Fathers-decreed nation, so he told Betsy to get on it. In an appropriately dutiful and femininely-restrained way, Betsy sewed said flag. And hold up—she even changed the original design calling for six-pointed stars, to an easier design with five-pointed stars. Call it woman’s intuition. And that’s the story of how Betsy Ross saved the country.
See? A woman contributed to the founding of our nation. Or whatever. Now we can all happily settle back into the male-centric status quo.
The Real Betsy
The funny thing is, the real story of Betsy is way more interesting than the ho-hum made-up one. Born Elizabeth Giscom, Betsy was one of 17 children of a conservative Quaker family. She scandalized this religious community when she eloped with a non-member named John Ross. Both became supporters of the Revolution. The two started an upholstery business together, which Betsy carried on alone after the young death of her husband.
She married husband number two, who promptly got arrested for treason by the British, and died in an English jail. On to husband number three, who had also been imprisoned by the British, but who managed to stay alive much longer than the previous two. Betsy continued her upholstery business while raising six children, until retiring at a fairly senior age.
That’s a significant amount of familial hardship, entrepreneurial spirit and apparent dedication to the Revolutionary cause. Missing from the historical record? Any indication that she sewed the first American flag.
Creation of the Myth
Smithsonian research indicates that this wild and crazy sewing myth entered the American consciousness around the 1876 centennial celebrations of the Declaration of Independence. Betsy Ross was lauded as a patriotic role model for girls. Compelling as this “she sewed something!” narrative apparently was for the Gilded Age, we should really be over it in the 21st century.
I’ve got nothing against sewing, but it’s not exactly a notable act of valor. The myth could have at least included a storyline about how the British were hell-bent on finding this rumored patriotic flag-maker, and she had to furiously string thread as British soldiers bashed in doors in hopes of locking away the intrepid five-star innovator.
The Truth is Better Than Fiction
Betsy Ross’ actual story is much more reflective of the actual commendable burden women faced during the conflict, including the loss of husbands, the need to find ways to make a living in those economically perilous times, and the societal expectation that they would do the vast majority of parenting at the same time. All while remaining loyal to the cause.
Moreover, the historical record provides standout examples of women contributing as much as the A-lister men did. George Washington relied on a litany of female spies to provide intel on British strategies. Some of the wives of the Founding Fathers, like Abigail Adams, handled business affairs at home, debated pressing political issues and advised their husbands on policy. Some women even fought in battle—either under the guise of men or as themselves. Can the flag-sewing story compare to any of these examples? (The answer is no.)
So this year, how about we all decide to dust off the sexism of the Victorian Age, acknowledge that women are capable of more than just domestic duties, and declare our independence from the Betsy Ross myth once and for all.
Image: ThinkStock
