USA: Pennsylvania

Description of Figure/Doll

Betsy Ross marionette, which is controlled by four strings and a wire. Her head is created with a wood ball and a wooden nose. Her torso is formed by a wooden block, and her arms and legs are made from wood. Her hair is black yarn, and she has a frilly lace cap and collar. She is wearing a red, cotton dress and felt belt. The flag in her hand has 13 stars.

Link to higher resolution images at ClipPix

Location: USA: Pennsylvania

Capital: Philadelphia

Main language: English

Currency: US dollar

Figure/Doll

Construction: wire and cloth

Height in Centimeters: 28

Height in Inches: 11

Betsy Ross and Her Famous Flag

Reading Level: 6.00

I listened with awe as my grandmother told me the story of how her great-great-grandmother made the first American flag.

The lady’s name was Betsy Ross, and she was born in 1752. Grandma says Betsy got into a lot of trouble when she was young. She was sort of a tomboy and didn’t always act like a perfect lady. Betsy’s parents were Quakers, a religion that believed in peace and in wearing plain clothes. They taught Betsy to be close to God, to be kind and decent to all, and to live by the laws of the Quaker religion.

When Betsy was 21 years of age, she decided to marry John Ross. However, John was not a Quaker, and her parents were very upset. She married him anyway, but her parents never quite forgave her.

John and Betsy opened a shop in Pennsylvania where they made curtains, rugs, and tablecloths. They were good friends with George Washington. George was the Commander of the Continental army. This was before George Washington became the first President of the United States.

John Ross worked in the shop, but he was also a soldier in the Continental army. One night he was on guard duty when there was a terrible explosion. He was killed instantly.

Betsy continued to run the business all by herself. One day, in 1776, George Washington came to the shop and asked her if she would make a flag. He wanted something with stars and stripes that would represent the 13 colonies. Betsy made a flag that had 13 stars, all in a circle, so that no one star was more important than any of the others.

Since then, a new star has been added for each new state. Betsy never imagined that one day her flag would contain 50 five pointed stars.