Born the eighth of seventeen children in Philadelphia, Betsy Ross lived in a time when the American colonies were yearning for independence from British rule. Ross worked as a seamstress and was eager to contribute to the cause, making tents and repairing uniforms when the colonies declared war. By 1779 she was filling cartridges for the Continental Army. Did she sew the first flag? That's up for debate, but "Who Was Betsy Ross?" tells the story of...

Young Betsy Ross is upset when her brother tells her that she cannot make furniture because she is a girl, but her mother teaches her that she can still do important things.

Inch by inch, bit by bit, Betsy Ross clips, dips, and stitches the first American flag, which was based on a sketch Betsy's friend George Washington gave her in 1776. The flag had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, which Betsy showed George how to make with a single clip of her scissors. Included activity shows children how to make their own Betsy Ross star.

Relates how a Philadelphia seamstress helped design and make the first flag to represent the United States of America.

Four biographies of figures who were influential in founding the United States of America and the stories behind two important documents that shaped the new nation.