Page 6 - Francis Collection

Most scholars believe that an American statesman representing the state of New Jersey created our nation's first flag. Francis Hopkinson was born on October 2, 1737 in Philadelphia. At the age of 14, he enrolled in the Philadelphia Academy. In 1757, he received a diploma from the College of Philadelphia. An artist, writer, lawyer & judge, his most important writings included poetry, essays, and political satires. He practiced law in Philadelphia and in Bordentown, New Jersey. In 1776, he was elected to the Continental Navy Board and the Continental Congress. During the same momentous year, Francis Hopkinson also signed the Declaration of Independence. Most historians think that sometime between November of 1776 and June of 1777, Hopkinson, while Chairman of the Continental Navy Board's Middle Department, probably modified the unofficial Continental flag into the 13-star/13-stripe, red-white-and-blue design that first officially waved over our nation's buildings & vessels. When he claimed to have created the flag & sent a bill to Congress for his work, Hopkinson initially asked for a "Quarter Cask of the Public Wine" as payment. However, the payment was denied because it was determined that he had already received his Congressional salary and he was not the only person to have contributed to the design. At the time, however, no one else contested his claim. Hopkinson's later career included a stint, beginning in 1778, as a commissioner in the Continental Loan Office. Finally, Francis Hopkinson served as a judge of the United States Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1789 until his death, at age 53, on May 9, 1791.

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