He wanted to run for public office, and like most people running for office, Bill Canby knew that it would take something special to get the voters’ attention.   He was sure that he had the perfect thing to do it.  
    Bill was a historian by profession.  He made a study of history and reported what he found to the public in general, and to the school that employed him, of course.  But deep down inside he had an ambition to be in public office, and he was sure that he would be a good politician if he could just get in office.  But in 1870, historians weren’t held in that high of regard and he knew that he would need some kind of gimmick to get the voters to notice him, much less elect him. 
    And Bill did have an “Ace in the Hole.”  Bill was the grandson of famed seamstress Betsy Ross.  Yes!  That Betsy Ross.  So, Bill decided that he would play his Ace card.  During a visit to Washington he went before the Congress of the United States and made a speech; one that he was sure would make all the papers and get him noticed and maybe even elected.  
    He told the heartwarming story of how his grandfather George Ross, along with George Washington and Robert Morris, was on the committee to design a new flag for the new country.  He told of how the committee went to his seamstress grandmother Betsy Ross, who re-designed their rough sketch and came up with the now famous stars and stripes.  
    Bill got his wish; well, for the most part anyway.   His speech was written down in the Congressional record and it was made public.  Bill did get a lot of attention for his speech and his famous, heroic grandparents.   There was just one little problem with Bill’s plan.   It wasn’t true!  Bill made the whole thing up. 
    Betsy Ross never touched the flag; neither did George, Robert or the other George.  It’s a Little Known Fact that the original flag of the 13 stars representing the original 13 colonies with the red and white strips was designed by Mr. Francis Hopkinson in 1777, nine years after Betsy was supposed to have done it.    Frank was a Navy flag maker from way back.  He had made hundreds of flags in his life and was the one who designed and sewed Old Glory.  
    So why was Betsy given the credit?  Well, because of that speech that Betsy’s grandson Bill made to Congress.   It went into the Congressional record and was republished by almost every newspaper in the country.   It didn’t help Bill, though.  He lost the election anyway.    And Frank never was paid by the government for making our flag!