In 1776 the United States of America became a great nation, free from Britain's rule. We became a nation full of freedom and opportunity, symbolized by many great icons. The Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, this great nations capitol, the District of Columbia, and the greatest of these icons, our American Flag. Our flag symbolizes to the world our strength, determination, and the rights and freedoms of our people. The very sight of it has given men the courage and willingness to sacrifice their own lives in order to protect what it symbolizes. But where did it come from? For more than a century it has been disputed by historians that the story of Betsy Ross, a widow from Philadelphia could be given the honor of handcrafting the first American Flag. So is it fact or a delightful fable that has weaved its way in as part of our American history?
In 1681, just one year before William Penn founded Philadelphia, Betsy Ross's Great-grandfather Andrew Griscom, a carpenter by trade, emigrated from England. He settled in the Philadelphia area and became an early member of Penn's "holy experiment." As it was in those days, his trade of carpentry was passed down to his son and then to his grandson, Samuel, Betsy Ross's father. Both of whom have their names inscribed on a wall at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, home of the oldest trade organization in the country, and there is evidence that Samuel helped build the bell tower at the Pennsylvania State House better known as Independence Hall.
Samuel married Rebecca James the daughter of a prominent merchant Quaker, while undergoing scrutiny by being accused of "unchaste intimacy before marriage" record of which is documented in the October 29, 1742, minutes of ...
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...avy Board Minute Book, Volume 2, page 164
Internet Sources
About.com / Women in History http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blross.htm Jone Johnson Lewis, 2004
Betsy Ross Home Page www.ushistory.org/betsy Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: iha@ushistory.org, 2004
Flag of the United States of America http://www.usflag.org/about.betsy.ross.html Duane Streufert, 1994
Founding Fathers.info http://www.foundingfathers.info/American-flag/Betsy-Ross.html Chris Whitten, 2004
From Revolution to Reconstruction...and what happened afterwards http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/index.htm Text prepared by GMW, 2003
"David D. Hall; The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton" (1637) in Jacobson, Fran, Tim Konhaus and Scott Wade, eds. The Nortion Mix: American Voices. 1st Edition. Nortion, 2008. Print 55-64
Andrew Griscom, Betsy Ross’s great-grandfather, was a successful Quaker carpenter whom emigrated from England to New Jersey. {1} He was also of firm Quaker belief, and he was encouraged to move to Philadelphia to become an early participant in William Penn's "Holy Experiment”. {1}The “Holy Experiment” was a colony for the Quakers to practice their beliefs. {2} This colony became a place for Quakers to live without persecution and a center of religious freedom in the colonies.{2} Griscom set up his business in town and taught his son to be a carpenter. {2} Both Griscom's son and grandson became respected carpenters as well. {1}They both have their names inscribed on a wall at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. {1}It seems that Andrew passed his skills on to his grandson as well, Samuel Griscom. {2} Samuel helped build the bell tower at the Pennsylvania State House or Independence Hall. {1}Without radios, televisions, or internet to provide the news, bells like this one was very important. {2}The bells announce births, deaths, and brought people together to hear important news. {2}Samuel married Rebecca James who was a member of a wealthy Quaker merchant family. {1} Rebeca and Samuel Griscom had a big family. Elizabeth Griscom was their eighth child out of seventeen and fourth-generation American. Elizabeth was born on January 1, of 1752 in west Jersey Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia, and went by Betsy. {2}
Although both men had sinful relationships, these relationships were also very different. John Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. But, he did not love her.
The American flag has long been a symbol of our country, but there have been certain doubts about its origin. No one really knows who sewed the American flag. The legend of Betsy Ross has been told many times, but some people look upon it as a myth, saying Betsy Ross never even existed. Betsy Ross was indeed a real person who lived in the 1700's, but no one can prove she actually sewed the American Flag.
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a big part of the United States. Betsy Ross had been the first, reportedly, to make the American flag. It originally had thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies, but later it ended up with fifty to represent the states in the Union. It is a symbol of our
He connects the flag as more than a flag but as a symbol of the United States. “Before the bombardment in Baltimore Harbor, the Stars and Stripes had possessed little transcendent significance: it functioned primarily as a banner to identify garrisons or forts (Gelb).” Key makes a choice to refer to the flag though imagery and alliteration by describing the flag as a “star-spangled banner” and “broad stripes and bright stars.” Key also uses personification when describing the movements of the flag. He describes the flag as “gallantly streaming,” “fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses,” and “in triumph doth wave.”
The colors red, white and blue did not have any real significance in America until their rights for freedom and territory were challenged. "The American flag played no significant role in American life until the Civil War, during the fight at Fort Sumter" (Goldstein 1). Then, to all northerners it became a symbol of pride and an object of "public adoration" (1). The flag was held in such high esteem that the Flag Protection Movement was created in 1890 so that there would be no commercialism of the object(2). The FPM felt as though politicians and merchants were "prostituting" the flag so, in 1900 they joined with the American Flag Association and made a set...
She said to the girls “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”. (Miller 20) Abigail only wanted one thing she could not have which was a married man. When in court John begins to reveal his affair with Abigail. However Abigail is asked about the affair with John Proctor and she completely denies it.
At first, both of their marriages were already not going well. When John Proctor was arguing with Elizabeth in their kitchen, he told her that he was alone with Abigail. “She told it to me in a room alone - I have no proof for it “ (Miller
...o captivating. Additionally, it does make an extensive number of appearances at various ceremonies and great events, such as the opening ceremonies of sporting events and national holidays such as Independence and Memorial Day. However, “The Star Spangled Banner” embodies a much broader and more abstruse, cryptic connotation. It illustrates America’s attitude of perseverance when facing seemingly indomitable adversities or unachievable ambitions. It represents America’s unfaltering faith, traditional values, and ethical laws that have come to characterize America’s individuality. It signifies America’s past, a historic reminder that unites the people and instills, in their hearts, a profound sense of patriotism and glory. Most of all, “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes the truth of what America truly means–“the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
John Proctor and Elizabeth his wife both think they are perfect, they both have unresolved between each other that will end up hurting each other at the end of the story. John while he is married to Elizabeth had an affaire with Abigail, the leader of the group of girls who are supposable witches. Abigail wants John all to her so the lies she tells about
Different documents in the Gilded Age prominently illustrated gender inequality in their portrayal of men and women within society. Many photographs in the time period by Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine did not shed light on a woman’s hardships, but rather undermined their domestic work. Society failed to give women credit for their work at home due to the common misconception that a woman’s work was easier than that of a man’s. Margaret Byington’s article Homestead: The Households of a Mill Town contrastingly gave an accurate portrayal of the distress women faced in their everyday life. The representation of women in the Gilded Age varies significantly between that in the photographs, and their domestic, weak personification, and in Byington’s article, which gives women a more accurate depiction through their domestic duties.
What is the American flag and what does it represent? For many Americans the flag represents freedom, pride, and justice. Our flag stands for freedom because of the many lives that had to be lost throughout history for us to be the nation we are today. The American flag stands for pride because of the many American soldiers men and women who lost their lives for us. Lastly, our flag stands for justice because in the United States no matter what crime we do we have the right to a fair trial.
The dissenting opinion to the previous idea is that the government's legitimate interest in preserving the symbolic value of the flag is, however, essentially the same that may have motivated a particular act of flag burning. The flag uniquely symbolizes the ideas of liberty, equality, and tolerance -- ideas that Americans have passionately defended and debated throughout our history. The flag embodies the spirit of our national commitment to those ideals. To the world, the flag is our promise that we will continue to strive for these ideals. To us, the flag is a reminder both that the struggle for li...
The fundamental question, which Ellis answered by writing this book, was: “How did the American founding happen?” Furthermore, the writer states that The American Creation is a story about a tragedy as well as triumph. He concludes by saying that he believes the historical talent present in the founding era is unlikely to be ever surpassed.