You likely have never heard of Elizabeth Claypoole. She was there, at the beginning of this great country and she was a great patriot who bore great sacrifice for the birth of this nation.
She was born on January 1, 1752 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the eighth of seventeen children born to Rebecca and James Griscom. Only nine of her siblings (including herself) lived to adulthood.
Claypoole and her parents and siblings were devout Quakers, believing is plain dress clothing and a very disciplined way of life. She attended a Quaker-run state school and received quite a good education for that time in history.
She married her first husband John (no last name for now) in 1773, at Hugg’s Tavern in Gloucester, New Jersey. He was the son of a Minister. His Father was the Rector at Christ Church, a parish of the Church of England.
Their union cause a great split in Elizabeth’s family and she was forced to leave the Quaker denomination as she married outside of the Quaker Faith. This also caused a split with her family as her parents were devout Quakers and could not support her marriage to John.
John was a patriot from the start and eagerly encouraged American independence from British rule. Although young, he was given great responsibility as a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Militia. He was assigned to guard munitions from the British, as his fellow patriots prepared for all-out war with Great Britain.
An explosion happened at the facility John was guarding and he died as a result of his injuries. At the age of 24, Elizabeth lost her husband to the cause of freedom and independence from Great Britain. Her personal sacrifice and tragedy were overwhelming, but she found a way to endure and remain true to the cause of freedom.
Elizabeth and John had started a family business and she continued to run it after his death. She was a noted seamstress and upholsterer. The quality of her work caught the attention of the new American government and it contracted with her to provide tents, blankets and other goods for the soldiers.
In June of 1777, Elizabeth married her second husband, Joseph Ashburn. Like her first husband John, Joseph was also a great American patriot. While at sea, battling the Royal Navy in 1780, Joseph’s ship was captured, and he was imprisoned in England on charges of treason to the Crown.
Like John, Joseph also died because of the war, leaving Elizabeth a widow for the second time. Elizabeth was still under the age of 30. It was also around this time that Elizabeth and Joseph Ashburn’s daughter Zilla died, at the age of nine months.
Throughout this time, Elizabeth continued to run the family business and provide necessities to the Continental Army. Over time, she became friendly with General George Washington and his staff. This friendship helped keep her business filled with steady work.
As the war ended in 1783 and American independence had been won, Elizabeth looked to the future while reflecting on the loss of two husbands for the cause. Elizabeth Claypoole sacrificed two husbands to the cause of freedom and
American independence, yet she never wavered in her patriotism or her commitment. She never let her grief impact her ability to meet the required needs of the Continental Army and she became a trusted friend of George Washington.
Also, in 1783, Elizabeth met and married John Claypoole. Claypoole met Elizabeth when he informed her that her husband Joseph Ashburn had been captured by the British Navy and subsequently died in a British jail.
Elizabeth and John Claypoole had five daughters. They continued to run the family business together until his death in 1817. John Claypoole had suffered through almost two decades of poor health, but Elizabeth was undeterred in running the family business.
Eventually, she retired from the family business after running it ten more years after the death of her husband, John Claypoole. She lived with her daughter in her retirement years until her death on January 30, 1836.
Elizabeth Claypoole was a remarkable woman, especially for the era in which she lived. Many might consider her a modern feminist, but most considered her a woman of enormous character and Faith. Her personal sacrifice at the founding of this nation never shook her belief that the colonies should and ought to be free. Without the sacrifice and commitment to the cause of freedom by people like her, this country would not have accomplished the unthinkable, defeating at-the-time, the world’s greatest military.
If this is all you knew about Elizabeth Claypoole, that would be enough, but there is more. To borrow from Paul Harvey, here is the rest of the story…
Elizabeth Claypoole’s first husband was a man named John Ross. She was known by her nickname, Betsy. Elizabeth Claypoole is better known as Betsy Ross.
Ross was a committed Quaker and eventually was allowed to return to her Faith. She was very much against slavery, considering it a moral evil, as Quakers in that time did.
She was a well-spoken-of seamstress who attracted the attention of George Washington and other military leaders of the Continental Army. She was known for sewing flags for Pennsylvania Naval Ships.
The legend of Betsy Ross creating the first American flag began in the late 1800s when her grandson, William J. Canby, presented research papers and told the story for the 100th celebration of America’s existence. Legend has it that she convinced George Washington that the stars should have five points instead of six and that she sewed the first flag by hand to make sure it was perfect.
Whether true or not, this much we do know.
Betsy Ross was a strong woman and an incredible patriot. She sacrificed for this country as few people have ever. She was never a slave owner and in fact, was very much anti-slavery, a belief that came from her Faith in God.
It is too bad that modern American society is allowed to sully the good name of Betsy Ross for political and monetary gain. She was a Patriot. She sacrificed two husbands in the cause of freedom. She loved this country and what it stood for.
How did we reach a point in our society where someone like Colin Kaepernick could be hailed as courageous and be allowed to cast a shadow on a great woman like Betsy Ross’ legacy? America has lost its way.
When someone like Colin Kaepernick, who has never sacrificed for this nation, who has enriched himself with millions of dollars because of the sacrifice of others, can be hailed as a hero and allowed to attempt to tarnish the legacy of a real Patriot like Betsy Ross in the eyes of an uneducated public is a sad commentary on the American people. Let me put it terms that people like Kaepernick can understand.
Kaepernick and his millions – ZERO!
Betsy Ross and her sacrifice for freedom – HERO!
Ray Richardson is the host of the Ray Richardson Show on WLOB Radio. He has authored three books, written a newspaper column for over a decade and is a contributor to Richardson Magazine.
Ray lives with his wife of 34 years, Dee Dee, in Westbrook Maine. They have four grown children (8 when you count the spouses), and blessed with one granddaughter.
