Bennington flag
A U.S. flag variant with a large '76' in the canton.
The Bennington flag is a variation of the American flag linked to the Revolutionary War's Battle of Bennington. It is easily identified by the large number '76' in its canton, which points to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Quick Facts
- Stars
- 13
- Star points
- 7
- Canton stripes spanned
- 9
- Outermost stripe color
- white
- Dimensions of original flag
- 65.5 by 115 in / 2.92 m
Facts from the source article.
Description
The Bennington flag has 13 stars and 13 stripes, like many Revolutionary War-era flags. Its canton contains a large '76' recalling the year 1776. The stripes differ from most U.S. flags in having white outermost rather than red. The stars have seven points each, and the blue canton spans nine stripes instead of the usual seven.
History
One legend holds that the original Bennington flag was carried off the field by Nathaniel Fillmore and passed through the Fillmore family, eventually owned by President Millard Fillmore. Philetus P. Fillmore flew a Bennington flag in 1877 to commemorate the Battle of Bennington. Mrs. Maude Fillmore Wilson donated the family flag to the Bennington Museum, leading to the alternate name 'Fillmore flag'. Many doubt the flag's actual use at the battle; a Green Mountain Boys flag belonging to John Stark is generally accepted as present. The museum has dated the Bennington flag to the 19th century based on its machine-woven fabric. It may have been made during the War of 1812, for the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1826, or as a centennial banner around 1876.
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