The Little Bird© a Twice-Weekly Newsletter for Curious Seniors Nancy A
The Little Bird© A Twice-Weekly Newsletter For Curious Seniors Nancy A. Franks, Editor
Topic: Just The Facts: The American Flag
“Where’d you hear that?” “The Little Bird© told me!”
Get To Know Betsy Ross Old Glory
1. Big Family: Elizabeth “Betsy”
Griscom was born on January 1, 1852. She was the eighth child in her family. Her mother went on to have nine more children. nktechhawaii.com) 2. Disowned: While serving as an
Photo Source: americanhistory.si.org) Photo upholsterer’s apprentice, Betsy fell in ( love with a fellow apprentice, John
(Photo Source:thi 1. Perfect Birthday Gift: In 1824, Ross. John was a member of the Captain William Driver of Salem, Episcopal church. Betsy’s family Massachusetts received an American disowned her and she was “read out” by the Quaker church when she eloped flag as a 21st birthday gift. As he with John at age twenty-one. hoisted it up his flag pole, he shouted, Old Glory!” 3. Widowed: Betsy was widowed three times in her life. Her first husband, John Ross, and her second husband, Captain Joseph Ashburn, both died as a result of 2. Constant Companion: Captain the Revolutionary War. Her third husband, John Clayppole died after years of Driver carried Old Glory with him on poor health. voyages around the world.
4. Sewing The First Flag: Betsy’s grandson claimed that in May or June 1776, she 3. Off To Nashville: When Captain met with George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris about sewing the Driver left his seagoing life, he moved first flag. While some historians stand by Betsy’s claim, others dismiss it as an to Nashville, Tennessee. He hung Old American myth. Glory on a locust tree.
5. Motherhood: Betsy and John Ross did not have any children together. During 4. Secret Hiding Place: When the her three year marriage to Joseph Ashburn, Betsy gave birth to one daughter, Civil War began, Captain Driver Aucilla. John Claypoole and Betsy enjoyed a thirty-four year marriage. knew that Old Glory would not be During that time, Betsy gave birth to six daughters, Clarissa, Rachel, Susannah, safe. He had his daughter stitch the Harriet, Jane, and Elizabeth. flag into a quilt. It worked! Even
6. Final Resting Places: Betsy died on January 30, 1836 at the age of 84. Her though his home was raided several remains were buried in three different locations. The final location is a times, Old Glory was never discovered. courtyard on Arch Street in Philadelphia, near the Betsy Ross House.
7. Tributes & Memorials: The Betsy Ross House, on Arch Street celebrates 5. Raising Old Glory: When Ulysses S. Betsy’s life as a businesswoman, wife, mother, and activist. It is said to be where Grant captured Fort Donelson and Betsy lived from 1776 to 1779. The home was restored in 1937. captured Nashville, Captain Driver removed Old Glory from the quilt, ran In 1952, a commemorative stamp was issued to honor the 200th anniversary of through the streets to the capital Betsy’s birth. building, and hung it from the dome.
The Betsy Ross Bridge crosses the Delaware River, linking Philadelphia, 6. Final Home: Old Glory is now on Pennsylvania and Pennsauken, New Jersey. The 8,465-foot bridge opened on display at the American Museum Of April 30, 1976. National History in Washington, DC. 1st Flag On The Moon Pledge Of Allegiance The Lincoln Flag
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Colonel George Balch George Colonel
1. The World Watches: On July 20, 1. First Pledge: Civil War veteran, 1. Five Flags: In preparation for 1969, millions of people around the Rear-Admiral George Balch, wrote President and Mrs. Lincoln’s visit on world watched from home as the first version of the Pledge of the evening of April 14, 1865, Ford astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Allegiance in 1865. It read, “We give Theatre owner, James R. Ford, Aldrin raised the American flag on our heads and our hearts to God and decorated the presidential box with the Moon. Were you one of them? our country: one country, one five flags – three American flags and language, one flag.” two flags borrowed from the United 2. Bargain Price: The 3 x 5 foot nylon
States Department Of Treasury. flag was selected from a government
org) supply catalog. It cost just $5.50. 2. Historic Tear: A silk Treasury flag
1931 measuring 6 feet square stood on a
- 3. Constructing The Ideal Flag Pole: en.wikipedia. pole to the left of Lincoln. It featured Creating a flag pole for use on
1865 alternating red and white stripes, an windless moon was a challenge. A
Photo Source: Photo
( Francis Bellamy oil painted eagle on a blue canton, and crossbar was needed to hold out the 35 stars. Today, it is on display at the flag. The pole needed to be light and Connecticut Historical Society in able to travel in two pieces. Since the 2. Another Version: Christian socialist Francis Bellamy was invited to write a Hartford. astronauts would be wearing bulky space suits, assembly of the pole pledge to recite at patriotic 3. Comforting The President: After needed to be easy. celebrations of the 400th Anniversary President Lincoln was laid on the floor, of the arrival of Christopher actress Laura Keene, offered to cradle 4. Blowing In The Wind: Knowing that Columbus. His original version was, “I President Lincoln’s head in her lap. Dr. there was no wind on the moon, people pledge allegiance to my flag and the Charles Leale granted the star of the questioned why the flag appeared to republic for which it stands, one nation, show permission. When Keene be flapping back and forth during indivisible, with liberty and justice for needed to leave, someone created a television coverage. NASA claimed all.” pillow out of one of the American that the movement was due to the flags. Later, the President’s blood was force with which the pole was buried 3. Changes Made: In 1923 and 1924, found on the red and white stripes. and the movements of the astronauts. the words, “I pledge allegiance to the This flag is on display at the Columns The flag had been rolled during flag of the United States of America.” were added by the National Flag Museum in Milford, Pennsylvania. transport. The wrinkles seemed to create ripples on the flag. Conference. 4. Missing Flags: The other two
American flags used to decorate the 5. Pole On The Ground: The flagpole 4. Congressional Adoption: Congress presidential box that evening are did not stand for long. As the lunar officially adopted the Pledge of Allegiance in 1942. They mandated unaccounted for. module lifted off the moon, astronaut Buzz Aldrin saw the pole get knocked that the right hand be placed over the 5. A Tear In The Flag: A second silk over by force of the blast. heart when reciting the pledge, rather Treasury stood in front of the than extending it diagonally towards Presidential box on April 14th. 6. What Happened To The Flag: the flag as Francis Bellamy had Following the assassination, a tear was Scientists explain that exposure to suggested. found in the flag. It is believed that Sun’s harsh ultraviolet sunlight would nu John Wilkes Booth caught his boot have bleached the flag white. After 5. One Final Change: In 1954, a bill spur on the flag while trying to escape. sitting in the lunar dust for decades, was passed in Congress that added the It is on display at Ford’s Theatre the nylon would have become brittle words “under God” to the pledge. National Historical Site in before disintegrating. Washington, DC. September 11th Flag Quotes About The World’s Largest Flag
American Flag
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“We take the stars from (Photo Source: heaven, the red from our (Photo Source: mother country, separating
it by white stripes, thus 1. Hit The Road: To see the world’s showing that we have largest flying American flag, you’ll separated from her, and the need to head to Gastonia, North
1. Inspired Hope: Who can forget this white stripes shall go down Carolina, 25 miles west of Charlotte. iconic photograph, Raising The Flag to posterity, representing On a clear day, you may be able to At Ground Zero, taken at 5:00 PM on spot it while you’re still 30 miles away. our liberty.” - George Washington September 11, 2001? It was captured 2. Mega-Measurements: The flag is 114 by photographer Thomas E. Franklin “The red and white and feet wide and 65 feet tall. That’s an for The Record in Hackensack, New starry blue is freedom’s area of 7,410 square feet! The flag Jersey. In the days that followed, shield and hope.” weighs 180 pounds. Franklin’s photograph appeared on - John Phillip Sousa 3. Sensational Stars & Stripes: Each the front page of newspapers around the world. star is 4 feet wide. Each stripe is 5 feet “The American flag is the tall. 2. Flag’s Origin: The 3x5 foot most recognized symbol of American flag was sawed off the freedom and democracy in 4. Perfect Pole: The 225-foot pole seems to touch the clouds! It has a yardarm of the charter yacht Star Of the world.” - Virginia Foxx diameter of 5 feet and weighs 80,000 America by firefighter, Dan McWilliams of Ladder 157. Star Of pounds. “The flag represents all the America was docked at the Yard values and liberties Basin in the Financial Center. Don’t miss the next Americans have and enjoy issue of 3. Missing Flag: The famous flag every day.” - Bill Shuster The Little Bird©! somehow disappeared hours after the XXX The Little Bird photograph was taken and made its “Standing as I do, with my way to the west coast. A hand upon this staff, and Sources: www.ushistory.org/betsy/flaglife, breakthrough came after the under the folds of the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Ross, documentary, Brad Meltzer’s Lost americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/ American flag, I ask you to nmah, www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ApolloFlags- History, aired on the History Channel Condition.html, in 2014. Brian Browne, age 46, turned stand by me as long as I www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2019/07/20/h stand by it.” - Abraham Lincoln ow-apollo-11-raised-the-flag-on-the-moon-and- the flag into the local police station in what-it-means-today, Everett, Washington. A forensic www.history.com/news/who-created-the-pledge- of-allegiance, investigation that stretched on for “When we honor the flag, we en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_assassination_flags, months, confirmed the authenticity of honor what we stand for as www.rd.com/list/iconic-american-flags, cafemom.com, the flag. a nation – freedom, equality, 911memorial.org/connect/blog/iconic-ground- zero-flag-donated-911-memorial-museu, 4. Permanent Home: The recovered justice, and hope.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_at_Grou flag is now on permanent display at - Ronald Reagan nd_Zero, www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/us/ground- zero-flag-returns/index, the National September 11th Memorial nationalflagfoundation.org/the-largest-american-
& Museum in New York. superflags-in-the-country