Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies

Sidedoor recently teamed up with the popular 99% Invisible podcast to explore the lesser-known history of the American flag. The episode, “Flag Days: Unfolding a Moment,” and this Sidedoor episode that inspired it, “Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies,” are available to listen to now. 

Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. At least that's what we were taught in school. But when historians go searching…there’s no proof to be found. In this episode of Sidedoor, we unravel this vexillological tall tale to find out how this myth got started, and who Betsy Ross really was.

Transcript

Guests:

• Jennifer Locke Jones, political and military history curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History | Twitter: @jonesjl_si
• Marc Leepson, journalist, historian and author of the book Flag: An American Biography | @MarcLeepson
• Marla R. Miller, historian and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America | Twitter: @MarlaAtLarge