Betsy Ross's Star
You can buy the Blast to the Past book "Betsy Ross's Star" by clicking here!
                                        
Get Real with History!
Read all about Betsy Ross on Wikipedia.

Speeding along in William Canby’s horse-drawn buggy, we arrived at Sam Wetherill’s house with nine minutes to go. The house was on a farm at the end of a long lane. I saw goats, sheep, and a chicken coop as we hurried past.

“We are cutting this waaay too close,” Zack muttered as we rushed up to the front of the house. “There is no waaay we can find Babs Magee, make her stop, and get everyone back to the Historical Society meeting in just nine minutes.”

Zack was right. There just wasn’t enough time. We were going to have to find a quick and easy way to stop Babs Magee. The rest…well, we’d have to hope that William Canby could take care of setting history back on track.

I turned to William Canby. “We will get rid of the insane woman in the yellow hat. After that it’ll be up to you to get everyone back to the meeting.” I pointed at the papers he still carried in his hand. “It’s really important that you give your speech today.”

William Canby nodded. He’d do his part. Now we just had to do ours.

The five of us hurried to the front door. William Canby reached for the knob. “Not another licked door!” He exclaimed after testing the knob and fining that it wouldn’t budge.

“We could try using teamwork again.” Jacob suggested that he’d hold the knob this time and the rest of us could grab on to him.

“Or we could just go in through that open window,” Zack said, pointing to a low window near the side of the front door. The window was so near to the ground, we wouldn’t even need boosting.

“You’re a genius,” I told Zack as I stood beneath the windowsill.

“You should probably stay out here,” Jacob suggested to William Canby, “Just in case anyone tries to go out the front. You can stop them and convince them to go back to the meeting room.”

William Canby agreed. “I want to thank you children for helping me. From this day forward, all Americans will know who really made the first American flag.”

I immediately saw Bo roll his eyes. I was worried he’d lose his head again and start screaming, “NOOO! IT’S A MYTH!” But he didn’t.

Very calmly, Bo said, “There isn’t any proof that Betsy Ross made the first flag, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” said William Canby. “As I will say in my speech, it was thought advisable to make a search amongst the national archives, and also in the published Journal of Congress, and in all other works likely to have any reference or bearing upon the subject, in the hope that some official testimony might be obtained to establish the truth…for it is only the truth that the real student of history is striving to reach…”

At that, Bo smile.

William Canby continued, “The most careful and searching inquiry was accordingly made of the printed works referred to, in fact of every book, pamphlet, or newspaper in the Philadelphia Library, and in this and other libraries, that would be likely to throw any light upon this subject…The search was fruitless, as might have been expected, as to the finding of any matter throwing light on the origin of the design, and the making of the flag.”

“Well then,” I interrupted. “If there is no proof, how can you say that your grandmother, Betsy Ross, made the flag?”

William Canby flipped through the pages of his speech and recited, “The next and last resort then of the historian is tradition.”

“That’s where I read it!” Bo exclaimed.

CONTINUED...

Read about Betsy Ross and write the story the way YOU would make it turn out.

Then get the Blast to the Past book and see what happens with Zack, Jacob, and Bo.

Read all about Betsy Ross on Wikipedia.

Read all the Blast to the Past chapters here!

Education World®
Copyright © 2007 Education World