Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12
Put the Stars in American Flag Adopted $50 Years Ago?

- AoOS
to the familiar Betsy Ross story, the
stars in the design which Washington
and his committee brought her to fol-
low had six points. and she suggested
the form which was later followed.
At least one author has written a
book in which Betsy Ross. the flag.
maker of Philadelphia, is acclaimed
as the originator of the American flag.
Franklin Hanford, on the other hand.
sums up all the evidence that has
been offered about her competition
with the design as 'hearsay evi-
dence." Even her own family. do
Clares this writer. never claimed that
she originated the flag.
Still another Philadelphia has been
selected by some historians as being
responsible for the design chosen. One
writer bases Benjamin Franklin's
claim on the fact that he drew de
signs for many Colonial flags. An
other, without advancing any proof.
tells of conferences in Cambridge be-
tween Franklin and 81 mysterious per-
son called The Professor" which re-
suited in the flag of January. 1876.
Not only this, but IL letter lett with
Franklin's hostess at Cambridge
(Franklin, no doubt, having a fortu-
nate VI ltiS lIllDCHulU6 dD~
sence in France) was opportunelv de-
livered to Washington just in time to
pass on a suggestion from Franklin
for the June flag. Thus was the APP
parent difficulty obviated of FTanklin's
absence in Paris when the starry flag
was probably under discussion.
* \
CAMUEL ABBOTT, writing THE
Dramatic Story Of Old Glory"
makes Franklin's Paris residence fur
nish proof rather than contradiction
of the claim that he added the stars
to the flag. and brings out piece of
chintz as corroborating evidence.
Franklin arrived in Paris December
%. 1916. Abbott says that the French
always believed that Franklin was
the originator of the war, and his
arrival called forth an enormous out
put of Franklin souvenirs. including
many pieces of printed cloth with de-
signs showing him to be little less
than the immortal gods.
The particular piece to which Alb
bolt refers is described by SHELTON in
1.-THE Jumel Mansion "Its pattern"
he says, evidently inspired by Frank
| lin, shows Washington driving a pair
! of leopards. In front of the leopards
are two Indians. one carrying a flag
| bearing the Franklin device of a snake
! divided into 10 parts. and the other a
| flag of 10 stripes. Passing in the OPP
posite direction beyond the chariot and
| falling in behind it. is the Philadelphia
| First Troop. at its head "A flag of 13
| stripes alongside the French standard
| showing fieur-delis. Above this group
/ and completing the pattern is Frank
| lin himself, with the Goddess of Lib
| erty, following the Is stars on shield
! borne by Mercury up TO Fame. who
| is blowing two trumpets at the en-
| trance to the temple" The theory
/ which Abbott advances is that the
separate shield of IS stars carried in
| front of Franklin indicates his part
| in completing the flag design.
/ The Metropolitan Museum OF Art.
which owns several examples Of this
| pattern on printed cloth. calls il the
"Apotheosis Of Benjamin Franklin"
| and lists the materials as English
/ prints Of the late eighteenth or early
nineteenth century. possibly about
| 1900 While it would seem that France
might be more willing than England
to glorify Franklin at that date, II
/ any supporting evidence is found for
| the essential part of Abbott's argu-
menJ, the place OF manufacture or the
print will not matter.
Although stars seldom had been
used on the flags of the Colonial Pc
riod, the explanation of this may be
that they seem to have been chosen as
the emblem indicative of one particu-
| lar colony. namely, Rhode Island,
which still bears Is stars on its State
| flag. Howard NJ. Chaplin, who is an
authority on early Rhode Island his
tory, says that he has found a seal
with seven stars in use by the town
council of Providence as early as 1924.
The insignia have been preserved on
the present seal of the city council and
on the city flag. although the stars
now number 10 for the number Of city
wards.
According to Mr.. Chaplin. there is
no evidence for the statement that
Capt. AIanley carried a starry Rhode
Island flag on the schooner Lee in
1775. On the other hand, it Is true
that Rhode Island regiment carried
a flag at an early date which had
blue union or canton displaying Is
white stars. In the State House at
Providence and in the museum of the
Rhode Island Historical Society are
Revolutionary flags with starry can
tons. The oldest of all, known TO have
been carried as early as 1916. is the
flag of the United Train of Artillery,
which shows the Is stars in a circle.
This company formed part of the
1000 troops that went to join Wash
ington a Cambridge.
Without definite proof TO the con-
trary, there seems every reason to be-
lieve that some one of Rhode Islands
starry flags must have been we'll
known to those who were interested in
the organization of the Continental
forces and that it contributed to the
design of the new constellation adopt
ed June II, 1771.