George Washington – New United States Flag

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” These words spoken at George Washington's funeral are as meaningful now as they were then. For two terms under his strong guiding hand, from 1789 to 1797, our young country established its independent roots.

At the end of America's fight for freedom, a few of Washington’s officers privately suggested that he be made king. But a clean break from the British crown was needed, and Washington firmly rejected the idea. It was instead his leadership and reputation from the Revolution that led to his election as the nation's first president—the only person ever to be unanimously chosen.

For all his strength and bravery on the battlefield, Washington approached the newly created office of the presidency with doubts. “My movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit who’s going to the place of his execution,” he wrote his friend Henry Knox.

Surprisingly, this former commander in chief of the revolutionary forces loved to dance and was more comfortable being called “General” than “President.” But Washington in the presidency, as in the Revolution, was the rock on which a country's dream rested. He was aware of the need to build an executive structure that could accommodate future leaders. And the presidency has proved itself to be the most remarkable political office in history.

Here with Martha, his wife of more than 40 years, Washington looks on as Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross displays the flag she is said to have stitched. The idea that Ross created the first American flag did not appear until 1870—almost one hundred years after the Revolution—when her grandson presented the story to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. With no surviving documents to substantiate it, the claim remains a cherished legend rather than established fact. Yet even our legends, founded or unfounded, help shape the stories we tell about ourselves. They become threads in the broader tapestry of American history. On June 14, 1777, Congress adopted the first official flag design, a day we now commemorate as Flag Day.

Listen to this article: