Betsy Ross, a seamstress who was given credit for making the first American flag was born Elizabeth Griscom in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1752. When she was 21 years old, she ran away to marry John Ross, the son of a minister. Her husband died three years later leaving Betsy to take over his upholstery business.

The Continental Congress recognized a need for a flag to be a symbol of the revolutionary cause. A committee was appointed consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Harrison and Thomas Lynch. These three gentlemen consulted with General George Washington and other revolutionary leaders. According to the family stories, that same year General George Washington asked Betsy Ross to sew the first flag. She made the first flag after requesting permission to change Washington's design.

Betsy Ross had two other husbands and several children. She lost two of her husbands to the revolutionary war but continued her first husband's upholstery business for several decades. Even though there is no real proof that Betsy Ross did, in fact, design the most well established version of the United States flag, Betsy Ross' home in Philadelphia is preserved as the home of the flag. She saw several changes to her design as States were added to the Union. In 1795, Congress increased the number of stars and stripes to 15, but in 1818 legislation re-established the original 13 stripes with the provision that one new star would be added every time a new state joined the union. Betsy Ross died in 1836. At that time there were 25 stars on the flag of the United States.