6 ) ▁is ▁widely ▁cred ited ▁with ▁making ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁flag . ▁There ▁is , ▁however , ▁no ▁cred ible ▁historical ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁true . ▁Research ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Museum ▁of ▁American ▁History ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁B ets y ▁Ross ▁making ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁flag ▁for ▁General ▁George ▁Washington ▁entered ▁into ▁American ▁conscious ness ▁about ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁cent enn ial ▁celebr ations . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁book ▁The ▁Star - Sp ang led ▁B anner : ▁The ▁M aking ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁Icon , ▁Smith son ian ▁exper ts ▁point ▁out ▁that ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁event ▁appe aled ▁to ▁Americans ▁eager ▁for ▁stories ▁about ▁the ▁revolution ▁and ▁its ▁hero es ▁and ▁hero ines . ▁B ets y ▁Ross ▁was ▁promoted ▁as ▁a ▁patri otic ▁role ▁model ▁for ▁young ▁girls ▁and ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁women ' s ▁contributions ▁to ▁American ▁history . ▁ ▁Other ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁hero es ▁who ▁became ▁figures ▁of ▁American ▁fol kl ore ▁include : ▁Bened ict ▁Arnold , ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin , ▁Nathan ▁H ale , ▁John ▁Han cock , ▁John ▁Paul ▁Jones ▁and ▁Francis ▁Mar ion . ▁ ▁T all ▁T ales ▁The ▁tall ▁tale ▁is ▁a ▁fundamental ▁element ▁of ▁American ▁folk ▁literature . ▁The ▁tall ▁tale ' s ▁orig ins ▁are ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁b rag ging ▁cont ests ▁that ▁often ▁occurred ▁when ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁front ier ▁gathered . ▁A ▁tall ▁tale ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁with ▁un bel