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Betsy Ross is Born
Betsy Ross was born in the city of Philadephia to Rebecca James Griscom and Samuel Griscom who were both Quakers. She was the eighth of seventeen children. -
Betsy Learns to Sew
When Betsy was young she attended a Quaker school, where she learned to read, do math, and sew. Later on, she was taught by an upholsterer named William Webster where she learned how to sew mattresses, chair covers, window blinds, and much more. -
Betsy's Apprenticeship
When Betsy was 21, she eloped with a man named John Ross, a fellow apprentice she met while working for William Webster. Because of this, she was expelled from the Quaker church because not only did she elope, but she married a man of a different faith. -
John Ross Dies
After barely two years of marriage, John died in the militia most likely due to illness. -
Betsy Meets Washington
In 1776, Betsy received a visit from General George Washington regarding design for the new nation's flag. Washington and the Continental Congress had created the basic layout, but Betsy finalized the design. -
Betsy Finishes the Flag
In late May or early June of 1776, Betsy finally finishes the flag for the new nation. -
Betsy Marries Joseph Ashburn
In 1777, Betsy marries a sailor names Joseph Ashburn and had two daughters with him. -
Betsy loses her second husband
5 years after Betsy and Joseph's marriage, Ashburn is apprehended while working as a privateer and dies in a British prison. -
Betsy re-marries
A year after losing Joseph Ashburn, Betsy marries a man named John Claypoole. Claypoole had actually grown up in the same Quaker community as Betsy and had met Joseph Ashburton while also imprisoned. With Claypoole, Betsy had five daughters. -
The Revolutionary War Ends
A few months after Claypoole and Betsy's marriage, the Treaty of Paris was signed which ended the Revolutionary War. -
Later Life
Decades after the war had ended, Betsy and her daughters continued to sew flags, banners, and other materials. In 1810, she sewed six 18-by-24-foot flags to be sent to New Orleans and 27 flags for the Indian department the next year. -
Betsy Ross Passes
Betsy Ross dies of natural causes when she is 84 years old.
