Happy 250th Birthday, America!

In honor of America’s Semiquincentennial, I’ve rounded up seven previous blog posts that focus on various aspects of the American Revolution. Some are from the very early stages of Traveling through Reading, while others are much more recent.

You’ll travel throughout the colonies, meeting the individuals who loom large in our nation’s founding and discovering places often overlooked. No matter the level of fame today, each person, place, and occurrence all had a part to play in creating the United States of America out of thirteen loosely tied colonies.

The Signers

In Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The Declaration of Independence, authors Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese provide a brief biography of all fifty-six signers.

Today, visitors can walk the same cobblestone streets that the signers walked in Philadelphia. Inside Independence Hall, you can step into the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and imagine the arguments for and against a split from Great Britain. Just across the street is the Liberty Bell. Originally it hung in Independence Hall, but has been moved to a spot where all visitors can see it up close.

Military Drill for Independence

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart is an insightful look into Baron von Steuben, the man credited with training the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1778. For many Americans, this is where Steuben’s story ends. Lockart’s biography details the rest of Steuben’s major contributions that had a lasting impact on the American military.

Valley Forge is located about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The Visitor Center provides an overview of Valley Forge and numerous artifacts from the winter encampment. Throughout the park, you can visit replica cabins that soldiers would have stayed in, the home Washington used as his headquarters, and the plain where Steuben trained and drilled the army.

            
“The ‘Cockpit’ of the American Revolution”

The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Home Front, edited by James J. Gigantion II, explores the impact of the Revolutionary War on New Jersey. Readers gain insight into the personal, economic, and military impact on the residents—for both patriots and loyalists.

Red Bank Battlefield Park is one of the many locations in New Jersey that commemorates where the America forces fought for Independence from Great Britain. Located on the Delaware River, the patriot forces fought Hessian soldiers. The original owners' home is open seasonally and provides a glimpse into Colonial life.

The Glorious Cause of America

In 1776, author David McCullough unpacks all that happened during one pivotal year. He splits the book into three parts that move the reader from London to Colonial America. For me, the most impactful part of 1776 was McCullough's description of the Continental Army: a collection of rag-tag volunteers who morphed into a disciplined fighting force. 

Nestled amongst numerous other Philadelphia sites important to the story of 1776, the Museum of the American Revolution is a fully immersive museum that takes full advantage of technological advancements. It covers the entirety of the American Revolution, transporting visitors across geography and leaving them with a greater appreciation for the everyday patriots committed to independence. 

Chain Defense

Chaining the Hudson by Lincoln Diamant highlights an important part of Revolutionary War history: defending the Hudson River, north of New York City. Failure to defend it would split the northern colonies in two and cut off supplies.

Fort Montgomery is on the northern edge of Bear Mountain State Park, in New York. The area includes a small indoor museum, detailing the significance of the Fort to the defense of the Hudson, original stone foundations and earthworks, and recreated structures.

And, just as a reminder, the last two published blog posts were the first in this mini-series:

• Evolution of the Revolution
• The Flag Seamstress

The Flag Seamstress

“She is important to our understanding of American history not because she made any one flag, however iconic that moment may have become, but because she was a young craftswoman who embraced the resistance movement with vigor, celebrated its triumphs and suffered its consequences” (361).

The Book

Betsy Ross is unique in the pantheon of American Revolution figures: a woman, non-political, non-military, and an artisan. Did she really sew the first American flag and was it her suggestion to make the stars five points, instead of six points? If the answer is yes, Ross happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and knew the right people. Her skills as an upholsterer and family connections opened up the door. In Betsy Ross and the Making of America author Marla R. Miller explores the world of Ross and how it intertwined with the development of the United States.

Elizabeth Griscom, later Betsy Ross, was born January 1, 1752 by Newton Creek in New Jersey to Quaker parents. The family was well-off due to her father’s work as a builder in Philadelphia, where an influx of immigrants created a housing demand. In the mid-1760s, Ross went to work in an upholstery shop becoming skilled at needlework. Her first husband, John Ross, apprenticed at the same shop and worked alongside Ross. They married in 1773, after John opened his own upholstery shop, where they both worked. During the same year, the boycott of goods from England (in response to the Tea Act) directly impacted their shop. In January 1776, John died and Ross sold the goods in the shop. When the American colonies declared independence in July 1776, military flags were needed. There is no historical proof that Ross contributed to the design of the first US flag, made it, or even met with George Washington about it. However, there is evidence that Ross sewed ships colors for the Pennsylvania Navy Board during the American Revolution.

She married Joseph Ashburn in 1777, who sailed on American ships tasked with disrupting British shipping. He was captured and died while imprisoned in England. In 1783, she married John Claypoole and they opened an upholstery shop that also sold furniture and wallpaper. For the next four decades, Ross worked alongside her daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. This included sewing 46 garrison flags for the US Arsenal on the Schuylkill River. In 1827, with her eyesight failing, Ross retired; and, on January 30, 1836 she died. Miller pinpoints the start of the Betsy Ross legend with an 1857 conversation Ross’s daughter, Clarissa Claypoole, had with her nephew, William Canby. In 1870, Canby shared the story during a lecture at the Historical Society of Philadelphia. From there, the legend took on a life of its own.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Miller is a good writer who often provides small asides that provide a richer understanding of the time period. Readers do not only learn about Ross; they learn about her family and the world she lived in. Unfortunately, some of those asides take up the bulk of chapters, detracting from Ross’s story. Miller makes it clear that there is a lack of historical records about Ross. In many cases, she relies on the experience of others or musings about what Ross would have done. I found myself skimming some sections, because I was more interested in Ross. A photo section includes sketches, engravings, paintings, and photos. None are of Ross when she was alive.

The Place

The Betsy Ross House, while close to all the key sites of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, sits alone on a section of Arch Street. And yet, it is still just as crowded with tourists who want to walk in the steps of the legend. Visitors enter through a small courtyard, where Ross and her third husband (Claypoole) are buried. Self-guided tours begin in the Museum shop. As you make your way throughout each room, you get a sense of life during the American Revolution. In the upholstery shop, a costumed interpreter interacts with guests as Betsy Ross. Despite being the most crowded room of the tour, I enjoyed hearing the interpreter speak and watching her sew like Ross.

It’s recommended that you purchase tickets online, ahead of your visit. They are good for any day during the year of purchase and are not time specific. Operating dates and hours vary depending on the season; the only days the House is closed are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The House has three flights of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible. A visit won’t take more than a couple of hours, so it’s a great opportunity to explore other sights close by or simply wander the streets of Old City.