Betsy Ross in Depression and in War, 1931–1945

Abstract

This chapter examines the fate of Betsy Ross and the Betsy Ross House from the onset of the Great Depression through the end of World War II. During the 1930s, declining attendance, unpaid taxes, fires, and economic hardship threatened the survival of the Betsy Ross House, while newspapers, historical societies, and patriotic organizations clashed over myth, history, and civic memory. A renewed national controversy erupted when New Jersey attorney and amateur flag historian Theodore Gottlieb promoted Francis Hopkinson as the true designer of the American flag. Despite his attacks and the house’s exclusion from New Deal preservation funding, it was rescued by industrialist A. Atwater Kent, restored to its colonial appearance under architect R. Brognard Okie, and deeded to the City of Philadelphia. During World War II, the old historical disputes receded as Betsy Ross again symbolized patriotism, civic virtue, and national resilience in a time of crisis.