Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies

Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

Zoo, National Museum, Postal Museum, Smithsonian, Society & Culture, Art19, National Zoo, Tony Cohn, Natural History, Dc, Exhibits, Museum, American History, Exhibit, History Of The World, African American History And Culture, History, Washington, Air And Space, Pop Culture, The Smithsonian, Sidedoor, Science

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2026

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As we approach the nation's 250th birthday, we are looking back at some of the most important moments in American history. One of those moments is when Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. But, as we discovered, there’s actually no proof that Ross sewed the first flag. In fact, we don't even know what the first American flag even looked like!

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.

Sidedoor also 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,” is available to listen to now.

Guests:

Jennifer Locke Jones, political and military history curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

Marc Leepson, journalist, historian and author of the book Flag: An American Biography

Marla R. Miller, historian and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, Side Doorables. Side Door social media manager Sharon Bryant here. I wanted to let you know that we are super excited about the United States of America's 250th birthday this summer. The Smithsonian is putting on all sorts of special exhibitions, events, and programs to celebrate the past 250 years. And also to look ahead and imagine our shared future.
0:23.1	We even have some special side door episodes coming out soon,
0:26.4	so stay tuned.
0:27.7	In the meantime, I wanted to share one of our past episodes
0:31.1	that looks back at a very important part of our country's early days.
0:34.8	Did Betsy Ross sew the first American flag?
0:37.8	You'll have to listen to this episode to find out.
0:49.5	This is Side Door, a podcast from the Smithsonian with support from PRX.
0:54.0	I'm Lizzie Peabody.
1:04.3	Growing up in America, there are some nuggets of history you just seem to pick up.
1:08.7	George Washington cut down a cherry tree, but he couldn't tell a lie
1:11.7	about it. A young Abe Lincoln walked six miles to return a few pennies to a woman he accidentally
1:17.5	overcharged. For me, I always liked the story of Betsy Ross. I can still imagine the page in my
1:24.2	fourth grade social studies book. Betsy Ross is sitting in her living room,
1:28.4	wearing a big poofy dress, a bonnet on her head. The caption says she's in Philadelphia,
1:34.0	1776. America is in the middle of a revolution. And in walks George Washington and the flag
1:42.9	committee of the Continental Congress.
1:45.8	This is Mark Leibson, historian and author of the book Flag, an American biography.
1:51.3	And they ask her to make a flag for this new nation.
1:56.2	And she says, yes, I can do that.
2:00.2	And Betsy gets to sewing, cutting strips of red and white silk,
2:03.5	snipping and stitching away.
	...

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