Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America? / Publication of the Scottsville Literary Society
Date: 2016-01-30T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Flags -- United States; Ross; Betsy; 1752-1836

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?

Author: Franklin Hanford

Release date: January 31, 2016 [eBook #51089]
Most recently updated: October 22, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Emmy, MWS and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DID BETSEY ROSS DESIGN THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? ***

Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?

PUBLICATIONS

OF THE

SCOTTSVILLE LITERARY SOCIETY,

No. 7.

DID BETSEY ROSS DESIGN

THE FLAG OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

By Franklin Hanford.

SCOTTSVILLE, N. Y.

Isaac Van Hooser. Printer.

1917.

DID BETSY ROSS DESIGN
THE FLAG OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

By Franklin Hanford.

A paper read before the Scottsville Literary Society, January 22, 1917.

On Saturday, the fourteenth of June, 1777, the Continental Congress, then in session in Philadelphia, adopted a resolution which reads as follows: “Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

“The Journal of Congress is silent as to the name of the member or committee that introduced this resolution and neither is there any record of the discussions that may have preceded the adoption of our national emblem.” “It is a matter of great regret that no record of the circumstances attending the birth of the Stars and Stripes has ever been found,” for we should like to know who designed our present flag, and also, though a matter of less interest, who made, that is manufactured, the first one.

Some years ago I happened to see upon the wall at Mrs. Emma H. Miller’s house in Scottsville, a very attractive picture in colors. This picture represented General Washington seated on the left and Robert Morris and the Hon. George Ross standing near him, while, seated on the right, was Betsey Ross with a completed flag of thirteen stripes, and thirteen stars in a blue field, in her lap. “C. H. Weisberger, Copyright 1903,” was inscribed near the bottom of the picture. Underneath it was this legend; “Birth of our nation’s flag. The first American flag accepted by Congress and adopted by resolution of Congress June 14, 1777, as the national standard, was made by Betsey Ross, in 1776 at 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia, in the room represented in this picture. The Committee, Robert Morris and Hon. George Ross, accompanied by General George Washington, called upon this celebrated woman and together with her suggestions, produced our beautiful emblem of liberty.”

The legend under this picture led me to make some inquiries as to Betsey Ross. Who was she? And did she assist in designing and did she make the first flag or ensign of the United States of America? If not Betsey Ross, who did design and make it? Endeavoring to answer these questions, I have consulted some thirteen works relating wholly or in part to the flag of the United States. A list of them is appended to this paper.

Betsey or Elizabeth Griscom was the fifth daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (James) Griscom and was born January 1, 1752. She was married when quite young to John Ross, son of the Reverend Aeneas Ross, an Episcopal clergyman of Newcastle, Delaware, whose brother, the Hon. George Ross, became one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. George Ross was interested in the furnishing of cannon-balls, with perhaps other military stores for the Colonial defence, and it was while on guard at night over these, with other young men, that the nephew, John Ross, Betsey’s first husband, received an injury from the effects of which he died in January, 1776.

It was during her widowhood that Betsey Ross is said to have made the first Stars and Stripes. For a second husband she married a sea-captain, John or Joseph Ashburne, who died in Mill Prison, England, in 1782. The following year, she married Ashburne’s prison-mate, John Claypoole, who died in 1817.

Betsey Ross died in her daughter’s home in Philadelphia January 30, 1836, aged eighty-four. She was buried in the Cemetery of the Society of Free Quakers on South Fifth Street, from which place her remains were transferred in 1857 to Mount Moriah Cemetery. Four of her daughters grew up and married. Betsey Ross’ first husband was an upholsterer. She continued his business and for fifty years was an expert needlewoman, lace-maker and flag-maker. After her death, Mrs. Clarissa Wilson, one of her daughters, succeeded to the business and continued to make flags for the arsenals and navy-yards and for the mercantile marine for many years. But being conscientious on the subject of war, Mrs. Wilson gave up the Government business but continued to make flags for the merchant marine until 1857.

The earliest “History of the National Flag,” of which I have knowledge, was written by Captain Schuyler Hamilton, U. S. Army, and published at Philadelphia in 1853, sixty-four years ago. Captain Hamilton makes no mention of Betsey Ross, and does not give to any one person or group of persons the honor of designing our flag.

The next “History of Our Flag” was written by Ferdinand L. Sarmiento and published in 1864, during the Civil War, at Philadelphia. Sarmiento, like Captain Hamilton, does not mention Betsey Ross and does not credit the origin of our flag to any one person or to any committee, or group of persons, but considers honor due to many individuals who assisted, more or less, in the development of our flag.

So far as I can learn, no mention of Mrs. Ross occurs in any history of our country or in any of the many biographies of Washington, prior to 1870, ninety-three years after the flag was adopted. In that year, however, “Mr. Wm. J. Canby of Philadelphia, read before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, a paper on the history of the American flag, in which he stated that his maternal grandmother, Mrs. John Ross, was the first maker and partial designer of the Stars and Stripes.” Mr. Canby said that Mrs. Ross received a call in June, 1776, from General Washington, Col. George Ross, and Robert Morris, who told her they were a Committee of Congress and wanted her to make a flag from a rough drawing they had, which drawing, upon her suggestion, was redrawn by Washington in pencil. This was prior to the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Canby claimed that he had heard his grandmother tell the story when he was a boy eleven years old, and that three of Mrs. Ross’ daughters then living in 1870 and a niece, aged ninety-five, confirmed his statements.

In the picture I have referred to, Mrs. Ross is represented as having a completed Stars and Stripes in her lap, although, at the time of the visit of the Committee to her, according to Mr. Canby’s statement, the flag had not even been designed or manufactured.

The best and most complete “History of the Flag of the U. S. of America” was written by Rear Admiral George H. Preble, U. S. Navy. The first edition was published in 1872 and the second, revised, edition, in 1880. Rear-Admiral Preble gives Mr. Canby’s story about Mrs. Ross in full, and he considers it probable that Mrs. Ross did manufacture or have manufactured at different times flags of the United States of various designs. His conclusion, however, is that “it will probably never be known who designed our union of stars, the records of Congress being silent on the subject and there being no mention or suggestion of it in any of the voluminous correspondence or diaries of the time, public or private, which have ever been published.”

In 1878, a ridiculous pamphlet was published, entitled “The History of the First United States Flag and the Patriotism of Betsey Ross, the Immortal Heroine that Originated the First Flag of the Union. Dedicated to the Ladies of the United States by Col. J. Franklin Reigart.” This was published at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

In Reigart’s book, the claim is made that Mrs. Ross “originated” our flag. Mr. Canby, Mrs. Ross’ grandson, had claimed only that she manufactured it and that she suggested some changes in the sketch shown her by the committee. In Reigart’s book there is a pretended portrait of Betsey Ross making the first flag. This was really the portrait of a Quaker lady of Lancaster and was taken from a photograph. Mr. Canby repudiated Reigart’s book and said he did not correctly present his grandmother or her claim.

In 1876 Mr. J. C. Julius Langbein wrote a small history of our flag and he accepts Mr. Canby’s account of Mrs. Ross making the first flag and suggesting some change in the original design.

Learning that a book entitled “Betsey Ross” had been published in 1901, I procured a copy thinking it biographical or historical but it proved to be a romance, pure and simple, woven about Mrs. Ross who is represented as the heroine of her day and the principal designer of the flag.

Since 1891, several small works on the flag have been published, written by members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and dedicated to that organization. In those works great honor is given Mrs. Ross, indeed, the members of the D. A. R. as a whole, seem to have accepted Mr. Canby’s story as beyond dispute.

In 1908, Mr. John H. Fow published at Philadelphia a book of fifty-four pages entitled “The True Story of the American Flag.” Mr. Fow devotes considerable space to the claims made for Mrs. Ross and considers them without any documentary or record proof. He says, “If Mrs. Ross made a flag in an Arch Street house as claimed, it was made after a design that had been conceived and born somewhere else, and her contribution was no more than the labor that is given by any girl or woman in a flag manufactory. Even according to the paper which was read (by Mr. Canby) before the (Historical) Society in 1870, it is admitted that a design made by someone else was taken to her but that she made some changes in it. Now,” says Mr. Fow, “that is all there is in the Betsey Ross claim. Yet the growing youths of the nation are being misled and taught an historical untruth.” Mr. Fow also says that the Canby claim “is practically charging Washington and the rest of the Committee with seeking to establish and set up in June, 1776, a national ensign before we had declared ourselves a free people on July 4, of the same year, and without any delegated authority to do so, the record of Congress being silent on the subject.”

I will not quote further from Mr. Fow’s book, as to do so would unduly lengthen this paper, but the book itself can be found in the Scottsville Free Library.

I have lately found in the “Manual of Patriotism for Use in the Public Schools of the State of New York, Edition of 1904, Compiled, Arranged and Edited under direction of Charles R. Skinner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction” the following in relation to the origin of our flag, “A Committee of Congress accompanied by Washington sought out the home and services of Mrs. Elizabeth Ross of Philadelphia—better known as Betsey Ross—to aid them in the flag-making. Her skillful hands and willing heart soon worked out a plan and gave to this country that red, white and blue banner which is the admiration of all nations and the unfailing joy of every true American.” All of which is a very fine example of what may be called “patriotic gush.”

Here you observe that Mr. Skinner gives Mrs. Ross all the credit for working out and giving us the flag. As it seemed to me that that sort of history and patriotism is all wrong and as there is, I believe, no warrant for that statement, I wrote on September 16, 1916, to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at Albany, and asked to be furnished with the authority upon which that statement was based. A reply came very promptly signed “Wilmer L. Hall, Sub-librarian in history,” to whom my letter had been referred for reply. Mr. Hall says, “The statement you quote may be based upon one or more of the several histories of the American Flag. See for example; Peleg D. Harrison, The Stars and Stripes, 5th edition, 1914., and C. W. Stewart, The Stars and Stripes, 1915. These accounts do not assert that Betsey Ross originated the American flag but allow her the credit of making the first one. It is said that Congress appointed a Committee consisting of General Washington, Col. George Ross and Robert Morris, who called upon Mrs. Ross and submitted to her a rough drawing of the flag. As the American flag is a growth rather than a creation, its exact origin is not determined; nor is the date of the manufacture of the first one by Mrs. Ross and the date of its first use matters of exact knowledge.”

Upon examining the two works referred to by Mr. Hall, I find that Mr. Harrison says that “the credit of making the first flag combining the Stars and Stripes is generally given to Mrs. Betsey Ross, and the story of its making is somewhat familiar to all.” Then Mr. Harrison goes on to give Mr. Canby’s account of what his grandmother told him.

Mr. Stewart in his book says, “Tradition tells us that Mrs. Elizabeth Ross, known as Betsey Ross, of Philadelphia, constructed the first Stars and Stripes flag. Though we have no official record of the making of this first United States flag, the accounts given by Betsey Ross’ relatives are generally accepted.”

I will here call attention to the use by Mr. Hall, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Stewart, and other writers of such expressions as “It is said,” “Tradition tells us,” “It is believed,” “Credit is generally given,” and so forth and so forth. These expressions are to history what the expression “they say” in common gossip or talk is to the truth, and are worth just as much. The fact that a thing is generally believed does not make it true.

Sometime after the receipt of the foregoing letter from Mr. Hall, I wrote him suggesting that the account given on page 5 of the “Manual of Patriotism” previously quoted, be corrected to agree with the facts.

It will be noted from the above correspondence that the State Department of Public Instruction does not now assert, as it did in 1904, that Betsey Ross originated the design of the flag for the United States.

What became of the flag that Betsey Ross is said to have made in June, 1776? In all the engagements that took place between the American and British troops from June, 1776, to August, 1777, there is no record in existence, public or private, that the flag claimed to have been designed by Mrs. Ross in June, 1776, was carried.

The first time that the Stars and Stripes was carried by American troops was at the battle of the Brandywine, September, 1777.

The Annals of the American Congress do not say that any Committee was appointed to design the flag. Washington made no note of a visit to Mrs. Ross’ house, although he was a voluminous letter-writer and kept most detailed diaries, and his writings do not contain a word that suggests when the first United States flag was made or designed. Neither do any of the distinguished historians of the Revolutionary period give us light on this question. Newspapers of Philadelphia, issued at that time, did not chronicle any portion of the story as told by Mr. Canby ninety-three years after the flag was adopted by Congress. Mrs. Ross did make State colors for vessels and batteries prior to June 14, 1777, but it was not until after the Stars and Stripes were ordained that she became a Government flag-maker.

The Betsey Ross legend has grown up since 1870 entirely from her grandson’s statement as to what he and other descendants had heard her say. This legend is now generally believed and taught in our schools as history.

The people of our country are very apt at setting up idols of one kind or another and at manufacturing heros and heroines. That Betsey Ross was a good woman, and an industrious and competent seamstress is entirely probable. That she was brave, we may believe,—she married three husbands!! At all events, we have now Betsey Ross Chapters, Betsey Ross Auxiliaries, and Betsey Ross this, that, and the other. And her former home at 239 Arch Street in Philadelphia has been bought and is preserved by the “American Flag House and Betsey Ross Memorial Association.” And a large sign across the front reads, “Birthplace of Old Glory.”

Now with your permission, I will give my own conclusions on the subject. The evidence that General Washington, Robert Morris and Colonel George Ross called upon Mrs. Ross in June, 1776, and asked her to make a flag from a sketch which they showed her, that Mrs. Ross suggested alterations in the design, which the Committee accepted, and that she made a flag from the modified design which flag was a year later adopted by Congress as our national ensign, is entirely heresay evidence. It is based solely on statements by Betsey Ross’ descendants as to what they heard her say. This evidence, I think, would not be accepted in a court of law, and therefore it is not proved that Mrs. Ross either designed or manufactured our first flag.

I read a portion of this paper on June 14, 1912, before the Caledonia chapter of the D. A. R. and asked them this question, Would you admit to membership in your society a person whose sole claim to membership was based on what she had heard her grandmother say? The unanimous reply was that they could not admit such a claimant.

Possibly there may be some better evidence than I have been able to find to substantiate the claims made for Betsey Ross; but until such evidence is produced, then the people of our country should be taught the facts of the case and not a legend as a fact.

The answer, then, to the question propounded at the beginning of this paper is, that Betsey Ross did not design the flag of the United States of America.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the
United States of America?

Bowson, Elizabeth M. (Mrs. Henry S.)
Our Flag, Its History and What It Stands For | 1908
Champion, Sarah E.
Our Flag, Its History and Changes from 1607 to 1910 | 1910
Fow, John H.
The True Story of the American Flag | 1908
Hamilton, Schuyler
History of the National Flag of the United States of America | 1852
Hamilton, Schuyler
Our National Flag: The Stars and Stripes | 1877
Harrison, Peleg D.
The Stars and Stripes | 1914
Hotchkiss, Chauncey C.
Betsey Ross A Romance of the Flag | 1901
Langbein, J. C. Julius
The American Flag Its Origin and History | 1876
Preble, George Henry Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy

History of the Flag of the United States of America

1st edition 1872
2nd edition 1880

Prescott, B. F.
The Stars and Stripes | 1876
Sarmiento, Ferdinand L.
The History of Our Flag | 1864
Smith, Col. Nicholas
Our Nation’s Flag | 2nd edition 1908
Stewart, Charles W.
The Stars and Stripes | 1915

Transcriber’s Note: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DID BETSEY ROSS DESIGN THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

- Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?

- DID BETSY ROSS DESIGN THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

- BIBLIOGRAPHY.

- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE