The Story

• According to a grandson of Ross, George Washington visited Ross' upholstery shop at Philadelphia in 1776 for a flag to represent the Continental Congress. Ross responded by crafting one with a five-star design.
  
  

The Doubts

• However, some historians doubt such an account. For one thing, Ross' grandson revealed the story in 1870, 34 years after her death. Moreover, there are no records, invoices or receipts that prove that such an event occurred.
  
  

The Main Contenders

• In the 1770s, there were about 17 flag makers/upholsters in Philadelphia. Thus, other people other than Ross could have made the first U.S. flag.
  
  

The Designer

• Some historians say that Francis Hopkinson came up with the design. The strongest evidence for this assertion is a letter in which he mentions a design he created for "the Flag of the United States of America." However, there is no evidence that he actually made a flag.
  
  

Case for Betsy Ross

• As an upholsterer and flag maker, Ross could have as much as anyone else in her profession claimed to have been the maker of the first U.S. flag. However, what sets her apart is that no one else has a story like hers.