Today, I am thankful for those endearing symbols that intend to unite us.
In previous blogs, I have shared stories from my recent trip to Washington DC. While there, we visited a temporary exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History that showcased the original Star Spangled Banner. No, this was not the flag Betty Ross reportedly weaved in 1776, but rather the massive 32-foot flag that persevered over the Fr. McHenry during that fateful battle during War of 1812. Despite a massive cannon brigade, the vulnerable Baltimore fort held strong with its regal flag on full display. Francis Scott Key’s delight to witness that ‘our flag was still there’ despite an entire night of sensational British bombardment led him to pen The Star Spangled Banner. We all can probably recount how a Philadelphia upholsterer, Elizabeth (Betsy) Griscom Ross, had designed the original flag in 1776, even gallantly presenting it to General George Washington prior to his departure for New England to assume the command of the Continental Army. The US flag, like the banner of any nation, is a respected symbol of national identity and a prodigious source of patriotic pride. Today (Jun 14) is Flag Day, a national commemoration of Old Glory; on this day, back in 1777, the flag that Betsy Ross was formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Today also marks the commencement of National Flag Week, which interestingly ends on June 20, the day the same Congress adopted the Great Seal of the United States.
What if I told you that Betsy Ross is really not the person who designed the US Flag? What if I instead informed you that many of today’s American historians and scholars actually believe that the individual who designed The Stars and Stripes also had a part in designing the Great Seal of the United States?
So, why does Betsy Ross get all the credit? At around the time of the 100-year celebration of the United States, which took place in Philadelphia, in 1876, one of Ross’ grandsons had put forth a claim passed down in the Ross/Claypoole family that Betsy had, in fact, weaved the flag and proudly shared it with Washington and other members of the Congress in 1776. He went so far to claim that Betsy had even convinced Washington that the star should have 5, instead of 6 points, to ease the cloth-cutting process. However, the only true account of the flag’s origins include letters from Francis Hopkinson who sought remuneration from the same Continental Congress in 1780.
Francis Hopkinson did have a role in the design of the Great Seal, but his role was relatively trivial. On July 4, 1776, the same day the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Second Continental Congress voted to form a committee to design a national emblem for our new nation. Although our nascent country was technically only a few hours old at the time of its commissioning, our forefathers knew the importance of having an official symbol of sovereignty for our new nation. That committee, which included Francis Hopkinson, went off to do its thing, and, after about 6 weeks, they came up with an early image encapsulated by a motto underneath it reading: “E Pluribus Unum.” Unfortunately, agreement on a design would be a somewhat painful, toilsome process, in essence lasting longer than the entire American Revolution. After 6 years of debate, 3 separate committees, and the contributions of 14 individuals, the seal would finally be approved by the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782. The famous design approved in 1782 was actually envisaged by the Secretary of the Congress, Charles Thompson. He took elements of the previously rejected designs and melded them into a symbolic design in just one week’s time. That same Great Seal of the United States is still in use today on official paraphernalia, such as treaty documents, passports, military insignia, embassy placards, and even the one-dollar bill. Thompson has a near and dear place in my heart, as he resided just a few miles from me at the Bryn Mawr House (now known as Harriton House).
Today, I’m grateful that the American Flag and the Great Seal of the United States remain unifying symbols of our great nation, irrespective of who actually came up with the designs. I’m also thankful knowing that how we choose
to honor these symbols is also a personal liberty we all have - a sacred one we should never forget we possess.
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