When we think of the American flag’s origins, the name Betsy Ross typically springs to mind, conjuring images of a quiet seamstress in a Philadelphia upholstery shop. Thanks to the 1893 painting “Birth of Our Flag.” and the many variations and prints over the years.
Flag experts and famous historians have never been able to prove that the legend told by Betsy Ross relatives in 1870 and beyond were really true. Today the Betsy Ross House website preserves the legend while using careful wording to limit controversy over the truth.
However, historical records point to a different, more eclectic figure as the true “designer-in-chief” of our national identity. Francis Hopkinson—a lawyer, musician, poet, and signer of the Declaration of Independence—was the creative force who translated the ideals of a new revolution into the visual symbols we still honor today.
Francis Hopkinson House still stands today at the corner of Farnsworth and Park in Bordentown City.
Designing the “New Constellation”
Hopkinson was a true Renaissance man of the 18th century. Representing New Jersey in the Continental Congress, he possessed a rare blend of political conviction and artistic talent. His most enduring contribution began in 1777. While the colonies were locked in a desperate struggle for independence, the need for a unified naval ensign and national flag became paramount. Hopkinson served as Chairman of the Navy Board from November, 1776 to August, 1778.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, stating:
“Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
This is why our modern “Flag Day” is June 14.
While the resolution didn’t name a designer, Hopkinson’s claims are backed by a paper trail. He studied symbols and heraldry in England in 1766, he was an active artist, and was an official on the flag design committee for the second Continental Congress in 1777. Many of his sketches of stars and designs still exist.
In 1780, he sent a series of invoices to the Continental Board of Admiralty requesting payment for various “labours of fancy,” including the design of “the Flag of the United States of America.” Hopkinson ever the jokester, famously asked to be paid in a “quarter cask of the public wine” — a request Congress eventually denied, ironically arguing that he was already receiving a salary as a public official and wasn’t the sole person involved in the design.
Symbols of wealth and power
Hopkinson’s influence extended far beyond the flag. As a member of the Continental Navy Board and later a judge, he was heavily involved in creating the visual language of American finance. He contributed significantly to the design of the Great Seal of the United States, proposing elements like the radiant pyramid and the “All-Seeing Eye” that eventually found their way onto the reverse of the one-dollar bill.
He also put his stamp on Continental Currency. In an era where counterfeit money could sink a revolution, Hopkinson designed intricate borders and meaningful emblems for paper notes. He utilized symbols like the “Sun and the Orchard” to represent the growth and potential of the American economy. His work on the Treasury Seal—featuring a scale for justice and a key for security—remains the fundamental basis for the seal used by the U.S. Treasury today.
A lasting legacy
The dispute over his “cask of wine” payment may have kept Hopkinson from becoming a household name in the 19th century, allowing the Ross legend to take root. However, for the modern citizen, Hopkinson’s legacy is everywhere.
He was one of the men to both sign the Declaration of Independence and design the national flag. From the stars on our banners to the seals on our currency, Francis Hopkinson didn’t just help build a country; he gave it a face. The next time you see the “Stars and Stripes” or reach into your wallet, remember the witty polymath from Bordentown City who first drew the lines of our American identity.
Michael Skelly, Sr. is an independent historian, writer, and board member of the Bordentown Historical Society.
