16. Who created the original American flag?
Correct: Francis Hopkinson (maybe)
Incorrect: Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross has never been credited with creating a flag at any point in her lifetime. In fact, it wasn’t until almost a century later, in 1870—two decades after her death, by the way — that anyone thought to give her credit. William J. Canby presented a paper on the matter to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Ross quickly became the creator of the flag in American legend. (Canby was Ross’ grandson.)
But historians are not 100 % sure that Ross deserves credit. The accounts differ on who the author might have been, but some experts believe that the honor belongs to Francis Hopkinson, a member of the Continental Congress— mostly because he claimed it while he was still alive. Also, according to Francis Hopkinson’s The Life and Works, he just asked for one thing as a compensation: a quarter of a cask of wine that he never received.
