Lived: 1752-1836 Betsy Ross, born Elisabeth Griscom in 1752, is regarded as the creator of the first American flag. Legend has it that in June of 1776, George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross visited the young upholsterer in her Philadelphia shop, asking if she could make a flag based on their designs for the fast approaching signing of the Declaration of Independence. While much of this story has been repudiated by modern historians, Ross' long career as a supporter of the Revolution in both ideals and manpower turned her from a dubious myth into an ardent symbol of early American nationalism.