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The William Henry Harrison printed parade flags of the 1840 presidential election represent the earliest use of the American flag in presidential campaign politics.  They are among the earliest and rarest printed parade flags ever made.  There are versions of these printed flags that feature variations of Harrison's portrait, his Ohio log cabin, a large multicolored campaign ball, and some that just feature campaign slogans for Harrison and his running mate, John Tyler.  While all examples of the type are rare in the extreme, this particular example is in nearly immaculate condition, and appears much as it would have looked when it was first made over 160 years ago.  The flag, which is printed on fine silk, features a 13 star canton in the form of a wreath of 12 stars and a large center star.  This pattern of the 13 star flag is known as the Cowpens or 3rd Maryland pattern, and its use on early American flags is both scarce and desirable among collectors.The portrait of Benjamin Harrison, in his general's uniform, with 13 stars arched above his shoulders, is extremely folky and wonderful.  This portrait representation of Harrison is also known to have been used on other non-flag textiles of the period, but its presence on such an early pre-Civil War American flag is especially rare. The writing on the flag, "THE HERO OF TIPPECANOE", alludes to Harrison's success at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, against the Shawnee Indians led by Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa.  Following the battle, Harrison became known by the nickname "Tippecanoe", and even at the time of the 1840 election, nearly 40 years later, the slogans "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too", and "The Hero of Tippecanoe", stood to represent Harrison's famous success as a military leader in battle.  Harrison won the election of 1840 and became the 9th President of the United States, but tragically, he fell ill and died just 32 days into his presidency having the shortest term of any president and becoming the first president to die in office. This rare example of a Harrison portrait flag with the Hero of Tippecanoe motto is one of the finest of its type to survive.

 
Learn more about the presence of writing on early American flags. Star Count:  13 Stars

Dates:  1840

War Era:  None

Statehood:  Original Thirteen Colonies

Construction:  Printed Silk

Catalog Number:  IAS-00321

   

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