Some Flag History

The Flag's Creator
Mary Pickersgill, of Baltimore, made the actual 30-by-42-foot flag, which she sold for
$405.90. Lt. Col. George Armistead acquired it when he left the military, and it remained
in his family until a grandson donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1912. The flag recently has been restored and is on display in the newly reopened National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Betsy Ross Flag
Most historians question the possibility of Betsy Ross being the designer of the first American flag.The story is a historical myth made public after the close of the Civil War.

Betsy Ross' story did not surface until thirty-four years after her death when her son, William J. Canby presented a paper he wrote to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He claims stories were verbally passed down throughout the years by Betsy and other family members about her designing the first American flag.

There are several reasons historians question Betsy Ross' involvement with the first American flag. No records indicate that Continental Congress had a committee to design the national flag in the spring of 1776. Even though Betsy Ross kept detailedstore records, no invoice or document has been found linking to this transaction.

The first meeting, discussion or debate by Congress to discuss a national flag did not occur until the Flag Resolution of 1777.Many historians speculate there wereat least seventeen flag makers and upholsters working in Philadelphia during the time the flag was created.

Some historians theorize Margaret Manny may have designed the first Continental Colors Flag, but lack evidence to link her with the first national flag. Other flag makers working in Philadelphia during that time include Rebecca Young, Anne King, Cornelia Bridges, and William Barrett. Any flag maker in Philadelphia could have designed the first American flag.While everyone enjoys the story of Betsy Ross been the designer of the first American flag, historians are still searching.

Who Designed the Fifty Star American Flag?
A seventeen-year-old high school student named Robert Heft designed the 50-star American flag.
In 1958 Heft was a student at Lancaster High School creating a project for a history class. He set
out to design a 50-star flag for his history class anticipating the addition of Alaska and Hawaii into the Union. He designed the flag utilizing his mother's sewing machine and a hot iron to add a new blue canton and 100 hand-cut stars (50 on each side) to the field of an old 48-star flag. Heft toiled
for twelve hours to complete his history project

50-Star Flag
Little did he know his teacher would offer him the ultimate challenge that would make history. The next day Heft submitted his flag for history class and his teacher, Stanly Pratt asked wherehe got his crystal ball. Pratt was referencing the use of fifty stars instead of forty-eight. Of course,
Heft explained he believed Hawaii and Alaska would be added to the Union. In response, Pratt made Heft an offer if Congress accepted the flag then his grade would be raised.

Because Heft accepted the challenge, he made history alongside President Eisenhower on July 4, 1960 when his flag became the first 50-star flag raised in Washington.