A Mother for America: How Betsy Ross Became the Most Famous Woman in American History
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Join Historic Yellow Springs for an evening with Professor Charles Hardy as he discusses his new book, A Mother for America: How Betsy Ross Became the Most Famous Woman in American History, published by Oxford University Press.
Betsy Ross is one of the most recognizable women in American history, but her story was not always so well known. Before 1870, the Philadelphia Quaker was largely unknown beyond her own family. Professor Hardy traces how family memory was transformed into historical "fact" by Ross's grandson and how artists, teachers, marketers, reformers, and politicians repeatedly reshaped her story to promote different ideas about patriotism, gender roles, citizenship, and American identity.
From schoolrooms and civic pageants to world fairs, war-bond drives, thirteen-star flags, and mass advertising, Betsy Ross became a flexible and emotionally powerful symbol of American identity. Hardy's research explores how national myths are created, marketed, contested, and sustained, and why certain stories continue to endure even after historians have questioned their accuracy.
Event Details
📅 Thursday, September 17, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 The Washington at Historic Yellow Springs
1701 Art School Road
Chester Springs, PA 19465
🎟️ Admission: FREE
Registration is required.
Register online: https://yellowsprings.coursestorm.com/course/a-mother-for-america-how-betsy-ross-became-the-most-famous-woman-in-american-history#!
This lecture is part of Historic Yellow Springs' Fall 2026 History Speaker Series and our America 250 programming.
Betsy Ross is one of the most recognizable women in American history, but her story was not always so well known. Before 1870, the Philadelphia Quaker was largely unknown beyond her own family. Professor Hardy traces how family memory was transformed into historical "fact" by Ross's grandson and how artists, teachers, marketers, reformers, and politicians repeatedly reshaped her story to promote different ideas about patriotism, gender roles, citizenship, and American identity.
From schoolrooms and civic pageants to world fairs, war-bond drives, thirteen-star flags, and mass advertising, Betsy Ross became a flexible and emotionally powerful symbol of American identity. Hardy's research explores how national myths are created, marketed, contested, and sustained, and why certain stories continue to endure even after historians have questioned their accuracy.
Event Details
📅 Thursday, September 17, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 The Washington at Historic Yellow Springs
1701 Art School Road
Chester Springs, PA 19465
🎟️ Admission: FREE
Registration is required.
Register online: https://yellowsprings.coursestorm.com/course/a-mother-for-america-how-betsy-ross-became-the-most-famous-woman-in-american-history#!
This lecture is part of Historic Yellow Springs' Fall 2026 History Speaker Series and our America 250 programming.
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Where is it happening?
1701 Art School Rd, Chester Springs, PA 19425-1411, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherHistoric Yellow Springs
