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1. Earl P. Williams, Jr. says:

   Wednesday, Apr 3, 2019 at

   Historians no longer accept the claim that Betsy Ross or George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, had any thing to do with the creation of the Stars and Stripes. The Ross story is based on uncorroborated and inaccurate Ross family lore that did not surface until the 1870s — a century after the Revolution. Mrs. Ross actually made “ship’s colours” — blue ensigns (naval flags) and red pennants — for the Pennsylvania navy during the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Ross and her family business did make U.S. flags after the War for 50 years. It is true that she could make a five-pointed star with one snip of the scissors. (See the Wikipedia article on Betsy Ross.) Congress adopted the resolution establishing the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag from its Continental Marine Committee on June 14, 1777 (Flag Day). The Marine Committee oversaw maritime issues. Continental Congressman Francis Hopkinson of New Jersey, who designed an American flag and a flag for the U.S. Navy, was on this committee in 1776. On June 14, 1777, he was running the Navy as its chairman. Ironically, Hopkinson’s naval flag became the preferred National flag. (See the Wikipedia article on Francis Hopkinson.) Earl P. Williams, Jr., U.S. flag historian (paleovexillologist)

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