No, this is not the Green Mountain Boys Flag, but it's close!
Though the much acclaimed Green Mountain Boys were mostly Vermonters (hence the name) they were organized by the state of New Hampshire and commanded by General John Stark of New Hampshire at the famous Revolutionary War battle at Bennington. Their flag had thirteen stars for the original thirteen states of the U.S.A. -- which, perhaps ironically, did not include Vermont.
At that time both New Hampshire and New York claimed what is now the state of Vermont. Vermonters, however, had other plans, proclaiming themselves an independent republic. Both New Hampshire and New York objected, and the U.S. actually considered an invasion. But cooler heads prevailed, and Vermont was eventually accepted as the fourteenth state.
My proposal adds a fourteenth star to the Green Mountain Boys Flag to represent both Vermont's contribution to the struggle for American independence and its unique history in becoming the fourteenth state.
The fourteenth star was so significant during the period of the Vermont Republic, which very much wanted to join the United States, that stella quarta decima ("the fourteenth star" in Latin) appeared on the republic's coinage.
What's the need for a change?
Simply put, Vermont has a boring flag. Nearly half of all U.S. state flags (plus the Canadian province of Alberta) consist of a blue banner with the state seal or coat of arms in the middle. This is bad heraldry because it is hard to distinguish one state's flag from another at a distance.
Indeed, the North American Vexillological Association uses Vermont's current flag as an example of bad flag design.
One solution would be to do what some Canadian provinces have done and make Vermont's flag a banner of its coat of arms. In other words, get rid of the blue background and make the state coat of arms fill the whole flag. Even reduced in size (as if viewed from a distance) the flags of British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island are much more identifiable than Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania.
However, Vermont's coat of arms doesn't follow the heraldic norms that make for a good flag. It's more of a picture than a traditional coat of arms.
Hence, I respectfully submit that a fourteen-star version of the Green Mountain Boys Flag might make a more recognizable symbol of Vermont.
A state so heavily invested in tourism should have a flag that sets it apart from others!
Have an opinion? Contact your state representative and senator.