Unit 2 - Internet Exercises - The Legend of Betsy Ross

1. Write a brief account of your experience in the Ross house. It was a lot larger than I thought it would be actually! It’s weird to be able to see where the American flag was made and just imagine it. I learned a lot of things I didn’t know before about Betsy Ross for example, she was buried in two different places, and remarried three times.
2. What is your opinion of the controversy? Do you think Betsy Ross actually sewed the flag or not? Why? I do believe that she did sew the flag. All of the dates and time lines match up. I think that when she sewed the flag, being the year it was, it was such a big deal that a woman was actually doing something without a man.
3. What is the best argument in favor of the legend? What is the best argument against the legend? I believe the best argument in favor of the legend to be of the subject of the original flag. It would have been difficult to preserve the original flag not mentioning that flags from that time are rare, worn, and torn. On the other hand, the best argument against the legend I would have to say is Canby or Ross’ trust. Records from this time were very uncommon and were based off of trust. Things could have been spread around or in other words gossip. People talking can become very dangerous and the story may have been taken out of hand.
4. Why do you think people (including President Woodrow Wilson) want the legend to be true? I believe most people want to think the legend is true because it portrays a memorable image in our mind that nobody can forget.
5. What do you learn about the nature of history from your analysis of this little controversy? I have learned that if you weren’t there, you will never know the actual truth. There are always two sides to every story. With History there is so much studying to do because everyone has their own opinion, you just have to find your own.