Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Pg. 99: Marla R. Miller's "Betsy Ross and the Making of America"

Today's feature at the Page 99 Test: Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla R. Miller.

About the book, from the publisher:
A richly woven biography of the beloved patriot Betsy Ross, and an enthralling portrait of everyday life in Revolutionary War-era Philadelphia

Betsy Ross and the Making of America is the first comprehensively researched and elegantly written biography of one of America's most captivating figures of the Revolutionary War. Drawing on new sources and bringing a fresh, keen eye to the fabled creation of "the first flag," Marla R. Miller thoroughly reconstructs the life behind the legend. This authoritative work provides a close look at the famous seamstress while shedding new light on the lives of the artisan families who peopled the young nation and crafted its tools, ships, and homes.

Betsy Ross occupies a sacred place in the American consciousness, and Miller's winning narrative finally does her justice. This history of the ordinary craftspeople of the Revolutionary War and their most famous representative will be the definitive volume for years to come.
Read an excerpt from Betsy Ross and the Making of America, and learn more about the book and author at the official website.

Marla Miller directs the Public History program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she also teaches courses on the American Revolution and early Republic.

The Page 99 Test: Betsy Ross and the Making of America.

--Marshal Zeringue