USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America - History of the Flag of the United States of America The Gadsden Flag The rattlesnake was the favorite animal emblem of the Americans even before the Revolution. In 1751 Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette carried a bitter article protesting the British practice of sending convicts to America. The author suggested tht the colonists return the favor by shipping "a cargo of rattlesnakes, which could be distributed in St. James Park, Spring Garden, and other places of pleasure, and particularly in the noblemen's gardens." Three years later the same paper printed the picture (as seen above) of a snake as a commentary on the Albany Congress. To remind the delegates of the danger of disunity, the serpent was shown cut to pieces. Each segment is marked with the name of a colony, and the motto "Join or Die" below. Other newspapers took up the snake theme.

By 1774 the segments of the snake had grown together, and the motto had been changed to read: "United Now Alive and Free Firm on this Basis Liberty Shall Stand and Thus Supported Ever Bless Our Land Till Time Becomes Eternity" Other authors felt the rattlesnake was a good example of America's virtues. They argued that it is unique to America; individually its rattles produce no sound, but united they can be heard by all; and while it does not attack unless provoked, it is deadly to step upon one. The Gadsden Flag The Gadsden Flag is available for purchase from my friends at U.S. Flag Depot, Inc. The Gadsden Flag: The American Revolutionary period was a time of intense but controlled individualism - when self-directing responsible individuals again and again decided for themselves what they should do, and did it- without needing anyone else to give them an assignment or supervise them in carrying it out. Such a person was the patriot Colonel Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina.

He had seen and liked a bright yellow banner with a hissing, coiled rattlesnake rising up in the center, and beneath the serpent the same words that appeared on the Striped Rattlesnake Flag - Don't Tread On Me. Colonel Gadsden made a copy of this flag and submitted the design to the Provincial Congress in South Carolina. Commodore Esek Hopkins, commander of the new Continental fleet, carried a similar flag in February, 1776, when his ships put to sea for the first time. Hopkins captured large stores of British cannon and military supplies in the Bahamas. His cruise marked the salt-water baptism of the American Navy, and it saw the first landing of the Corps of Marines, on whose drums the Gadsden symbol was painted. The 1st Navy Jack The 1st Navy Jack is available for purchase from my friends at U.S. Flag Depot, Inc. The 1st Navy Jack: One of the first flags flown by our Navy may have been an adaptation of the "Rebellious Stripes" created at the time of the Stamp Act Congress. It featured thirteen red and white stripes.

Stretched across them was the rippling form of a rattlesnake, and the words, "DON'T TREAD ON ME"- a striking indication of the colonists' courage and fierce desire for independence. The flag we know today as the first Navy Jack (sometimes known as the "Culpepper Flag") is believed to have flown aboard the Alfred, flagship of the newly commissioned Continental fleet, in January, 1776. American ships used this flag, or one of its variations, throughout the Revolutionary War. This powerful American symbol was used by the Continental Navy in 1776 and is being used again by the U.S. Navy in the War on Terrorism. This page is maintained by Duane Streufert, Contact Us . Questions or comments welcome! Gadsden Flag History Gadsden Flag History Rattlesnake Symbol | Gadsden Flag History | Christopher Gadsden | Culpeper Flag The origins of the Gadsden flag, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps The seal from a 1778 $20 bill from Georgia. The financial backing for these bills was property seized from loyalists.

The motto reads "Nemo me impune lacesset," i.e. "No one will provoke me with impunity." By 1775, the snake symbol wasn't just being printed in newspapers. It was appearing all over the colonies: on uniform buttons, on paper money, and of course, on banners and flags. The snake symbol morphed quite a bit during its rapid, widespread adoption. It wasn't cut up into pieces anymore. And it was usually shown as an American timber rattlesnake, not a generic serpent. We don't know for certain where, when, or by whom the familiar coiled rattlesnake was first used with the warning "Don't Tread on Me." We do know when it first entered the history books. In the fall of 1775, the British were occupying Boston and the young Continental Army was holed up in Cambridge, woefully short on arms and ammunition. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington's troops had been so low on gunpowder that they were ordered "not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes." In October, a merchant ship called The Black Prince returned to Philadelphia from a voyage to England.

On board were private letters to the Second Continental Congress that informed them that the British government was sending two ships to America loaded with arms and gunpowder for the British troops. Congress decided that General Washington needed those arms more than the British. A plan was hatched to capture the cargo ships. They authorized the creation of a Continental Navy, starting with four ships. The frigate that carried the information from England, the Black Prince, was one of the four. It was purchased, converted to a man-of-war, and renamed the Alfred. To accompany the Navy on their first mission, Congress also authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines . The Alfred and its sailors and marines went on to achieve some of the most notable victories of the American Revolution. But that's not the story we're interested in here.

What's particularly interesting for us is that some of the Marines that enlisted that month in Philadelphia were carrying drums painted yellow, emblazoned with a fierce rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike, with thirteen rattles, and sporting the motto "Don't Tread on Me." An American Guesser In December 1775, "An American Guesser" anonymously wrote to the Pennsylvania Journal: "I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines now raising, there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, 'Don't tread on me.' As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this may have been intended for the arms of America." This anonymous writer, having "nothing to do with public affairs" and "in order to divert an idle hour," speculated on why a snake might be chosen as a symbol for America.

First, it occurred to him that "the Rattle-Snake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America." The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and "may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance." Furthermore, "She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her." Finally, "I confess I was wholly at a loss what to make of the rattles, 'till I went back and counted them and found them just thirteen, exactly the number of the Colonies united in America; and I recollected too that this was the only part of the Snake which increased in numbers. ... "'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together, so as never to be separated but by breaking them to pieces.

One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living." Benjamin Franklin, portrait by David Martin, 1767. White House Historical Association. Many scholars now agree that this "American Guesser" was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin is also known for opposing the use of an eagle — "a bird of bad moral character" — as a national symbol. Don't Tread on Me: Gadsden Flag History Don't Tread on Me] Don't Tread on Me The Fourth of July never fails to reinspire my patriotism and sense of community with my fellow Americans, even when those fellow Americans are a mob of drunken cretins and teenagers trying to get out of downtown Chicago at 11pm. I like seeing all the American flags. I do have my complaints about the American government, especially about how intimately the Washington D.C. politicians feel they should be involved in the daily lives of their subjects, I mean, citizens. But the flag isn't just a symbol of the American government. It's a symbol of shared American values -- especially our highest common value: freedom.

When it comes to symbolizing freedom and the spirit of '76, I do think there's a better American flag. With all due respect to the stars and stripes, I prefer the yellow Gadsden flag with the coiled rattlesnake and the defiant Don't Tread on Me motto. The meaning of Old Glory can get mixed up with the rights and wrongs of the perpetually new-and-improved government. The meaning of "Don't Tread on Me" is unmistakable. There's also an interesting history behind this flag. And it's intertwined with one of American history's most interesting personalities, Ben Franklin. American unity Benjamin Franklin is famous for his sense of humor. In 1751, he wrote a satirical commentary in his Pennsylvania Gazette suggesting that as a way to thank the Brits for their policy of sending convicted felons to America, American colonists should send rattlesnakes to England. Three years later, in 1754, he used a snake to illustrate another point. This time not so humorous. Franklin sketched, carved, and published the first known political cartoon in an American newspaper. It was the image of a snake cut into eight sections.

The sections represented the individual colonies and the curves of the snake suggested the coastline. New England was combined into one section as the head of the snake. South Carolina was at the tail. Beneath the snake were the ominous words "Join, or Die." [Benjamin Franklin's woodcut from May 9, 1754. Newspaper Serial and Government Publications Division, Library of Congress.] This had nothing to do with independence from Britain. It was a plea for unity in defending the colonies during the French and Indian War. It played off a common superstition of the time: a snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the sections together before sunset. The snake illustration was reprinted throughout the colonies. Dozens of newspapers from Massachusetts to South Carolina ran Franklin's sketch or some variation of it. For example, the Boston Gazette recreated the snake with the words "Unite and Conquer" coming from its mouth. I suppose the newspaper editors were hungry for graphic material, this being America's first political cartoon. Whatever the reason, Franklin's snake wiggled its way into American culture as an early symbol of a shared national identity.

American independence The snake symbol came in handy ten years later, when Americans were again uniting against a common enemy. In 1765 the common enemy was the Stamp Act. The British decided that they needed more control over the colonies, and more importantly, they needed more money from the colonies. The Crown was loaded with debt from the French and Indian War. Why shouldn't the Americans -- "children planted by our care, nourished by our indulgence," as Charles Townshend of the House of Commons put it -- pay off England's debt? Colonel Isaac Barre, who had fought in the French and Indian War, responded that the colonies hadn't been planted by the care of the British government, they'd been established by people fleeing it. And the British government hadn't nourished the colonies, they'd flourished despite what the British government did and didn't do. In this speech, Barre referred to the colonists as "sons of liberty." In the following months and years, as we know, the Sons of Liberty became increasingly resentful of English interference. And as the tides of American public opinion moved closer and closer to rebellion, Franklin's disjointed snake continued to be used as symbol of American unity, and American independence.

For example, in 1774 Paul Revere added it to the masthead of The Massachusetts Spy and showed the snake fighting a British dragon. [Paul Revere's modified "Join or Die" snake from the masthead of Thomas's Boston Journal, July 7, 1774. Newspaper Serial and Government Publications Division, Library of Congress.] The birth of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps [The seal from a 1778 $20 bill from Georgia. The financial backing for these bills was property seized from loyalists. The motto reads "Nemo me impune lacesset," i.e. "No one will provoke me with impunity."] By 1775, the snake symbol wasn't just being printed in newspapers. It was appearing all over the colonies ... on uniform buttons ... on paper money ... and of course, on banners and flags. The snake symbol morphed quite a bit during its rapid, widespread adoption. It wasn't cut up into pieces anymore. And it was usually shown as an American timber rattlesnake, not a generic serpent.

We don't know for certain where, when, or by whom the familiar coiled rattlesnake was first used with the warning "Don't Tread on Me." We do know when it first entered the history books. In the fall of 1775, the British were occupying Boston and the young Continental Army was holed up in Cambridge, woefully short on arms and ammunition. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington's troops had been so low on gunpowder that they were ordered "not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes." In October, a merchant ship called The Black Prince returned to Philadelphia from a voyage to England. On board were private letters to the Second Continental Congress that informed them that the British government was sending two ships to America loaded with arms and gunpowder for the British troops. Congress decided that General Washington needed those arms more than General Howe. A plan was hatched to capture the British cargo ships. They authorized the creation of a Continental Navy, starting with four ships. The frigate that carried the information from England, the Black Prince, was one of the four. It was purchased, converted to a man-of-war, and renamed the Alfred.

To accompany the Navy on their first mission, Congress also authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines . The Alfred and its sailors and marines went on to achieve some of the most notable victories of the American Revolution. But that's not the story we're interested in here. What's particularly interesting for us is that some of the Marines that enlisted that month in Philadelphia were carrying drums painted yellow, emblazoned with a fierce rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike, with thirteen rattles, and sporting the motto "Don't Tread on Me." Benjamin Franklin diverts an idle hour [Benjamin Franklin, portrait by David Martin, 1767.

White House Historical Association.] In December 1775, "An American Guesser" anonymously wrote to the Pennsylvania Journal: "I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines now raising, there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, 'Don't tread on me.' As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this may have been intended for the arms of America." This anonymous writer, having "nothing to do with public affairs" and "in order to divert an idle hour," speculated on why a snake might be chosen as a symbol for America. First, it occurred to him that "the Rattle-Snake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America." The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and "may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance." Furthermore, "She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ...

she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her." Finally, "I confess I was wholly at a loss what to make of the rattles, 'till I went back and counted them and found them just thirteen, exactly the number of the Colonies united in America; and I recollected too that this was the only part of the Snake which increased in numbers. ... "'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together, so as never to be separated but by breaking them to pieces. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living." Many scholars now agree that this "American Guesser" was Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, of course, is also known for opposing the use of an eagle -- "a bird of bad moral character" -- as a national symbol.

Don’t Tread on Me | Fort Liberty Don’t Tread on Me Don’t Tread On Me is a phrase that appeared on several flags used in the early United States, including the First Navy Jack, the Flag of the Culpeper Minutemen, and the Gadsden flag (pictured). The Gadsden flag was designed by Colonel Christopher Gadsden and presented to the Second Continental Congress in 1775. From the South Carolina congressional journals: Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, “Don’t Tread on Me!” The rattlesnake symbolism on the flag was most likely invented by Benjamin Franklin, who was using it as early as 1751 and published a famous woodcut featuring it in 1754. The rattlesnake is the perfect embodiment of the early American view of independence from government.

Franklin wrote this passage concerning the rattlesnake as a symbol for Americans in the Pennsylvania Journal in 1775: I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America? The Gadsden Flag expresses almost perfectly my feelings towards the United States government.

I just want to be left alone — and yet they continue to pass thousands of pages of laws and tens of thousands of pages of “regulations” with which I must comply or face the force of their wrath. The U.S. Congress passes laws that few or none of their members have taken the time to read, and yet I am expected to know and follow these laws. When the Supreme Court finally, after decades, declares some of the laws they have passed to be unconstitutional, they do nothing but pass new laws with the same intent — totalitarian dictatorship. Enough! I am done with them. I will do as I see fit. I will follow my conscience. They can sit in Washington and pass all the laws they want, but they would be best advised not to try to enforce them upon me. VN:F [1.9.22_1171] Flags of the American Revolution Founding Fathers Home Page > American Flags > Flags of the Revolution Flags of the American Revolution The first flags adopted by our colonial forebears were symbolic of their struggles with the wilderness of the new land.

Beavers, pine trees, rattlesnakes, anchors and various other insignia were affixed to different banners with mottoes such as "Hope," "Liberty," "Appeal to Heaven," or " Don't Tread on Me ." In the early days of the Revolution , there were colonial and regimental flags by the score. The Boston Liberty flag, consisting of nine alternate red and white horizontal stripes, flew over the Liberty Tree, a fine old elm in Hanover Square in Boston, where the Sons of Liberty met. Still another was a white flag with a green pine tree and the inscription, "An Appeal to Heaven." This particular flag became familiar on the seas as the ensign of the cruisers commissioned by General Washington, and was noted by many English newspapers of the time. [Available from FlagLine.com .] Flags with a rattlesnake theme also gained increasing prestige with colonists. The slogan "Don't Tread on Me" almost invariably appeared on rattlesnake flags. A flag of this type was the standard of the South Carolina Navy. Another, the Gadsden flag, consisted of a yellow field with a rattlesnake in a spiral coil, poised to strike, in the center.

Below the snake was the motto, "Don't Tread on Me." [Available from FlagLine.com .] Similar was the Culpepper flag, banner of the Minutemen of Culpepper (now spelled Culpeper) County, Virginia. It consisted of a white field with a rattlesnake in a spiral coil in the center. Above the rattlesnake was the legend "The Culpepper Minute Men" and below, the motto, "Liberty or Death" as well as "Don't Tread on Me." [Available from FlagLine.com .] In December of 1775, an anonymous Philadelphia correspondent wrote to Bradford's Pennsylvania journal concerning the symbolic use of the snake. He began the letter by saying: I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may, therefore, be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders. She is, therefore, an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.

It was probably the deadly bite of the rattler, however, which was foremost in the minds of its designers, and the threatening slogan "Don't Tread on Me" added further significance to the design. The American Cowboy Chronicles: The Gadsden Flag - Don't Tread On Me The American Cowboy Chronicles Wednesday, May 29, 2013 The Gadsden Flag - Don't Tread On Me ﻿﻿There was a story in the news recently about a City Council who has ordered one of America's Historic Flags, one of our Nation's original banners used during the American Revolution, the Gadsden Flag, to be removed from a building. Their reasoning? Well, they said it is "a symbol of the Tea Party" - and subsequently they ordered it removed from a military armory in New Rochelle, New York. Isn't it amazing how many people don't know American History? So allow me to help. Yes, the Gadsden Flag was used during The Revolutionary War, aka the American War of Independence In 1775, General George Washington stopped in New Rochelle on his way to assume command of the Army of the United Colonies in Massachusetts.

The British Army briefly occupied sections of New Rochelle and Larchmont in 1776. Following British victory in the Battle of White Plains, New Rochelle became part of a "Neutral Ground" for General Washington to regroup his troops. So yes, as incredible as it sounds, a city back East which has roots in the American Revolution has ordered that one of America's Historic Flags which was actually used during the American Revolution, the Gadsden Flag, be removed from one of their buildings. Thankfully soon after that took place, a veterans group in New York started actions to take the City of New Rochelle to court over the issue of having ordered the Gadsden Flag be removed. What took place? Well, the city of New Rochelle, N.Y., removed the Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” flag from the New Rochelle Armory after the City Council refused to let a Veterans Organization display the flag.

The United Veterans Memorial and Patriotic Association of New Rochelle is now fighting the decision, ordered by City Manager Chuck Strome after complaints that the flag is "a symbol of the Tea Party movement." Chuck Strome changed his mind after Peter Parente, president of United Veterans Memorial, sent Mr Strome the history of the Gadsden Flag, which is flown beneath the U.S. flag on many military sites. But even though Strome was educated on the subject and subsequently changed his mind, the New Rochelle City Council overruled Strome and voted 5-2 to have the flag removed. Imagine that! One can only wonder if the City Council was informed of the history behind the Gadsden Flag or not? If so, then they obviously don't give a shit what its historic significance truly is - or how it should be shown respect. According to the Washington Examiner, the New Rochelle City Council objected to the flag because they said Parente is a member of the Tea Party and wants to display the flag to push a "political agenda." They assume such. Now what was that which we were all told about the word assume?

Oh yes, the City Council "assumes" that since Peter Parente said no one in the veterans group is a Tea Party member, it must be true. "I'm a proud Republican," he told the city council, according to the Examiner. Now, the veterans group has found an ally in the Thomas More Law Center and are ready to go to court. "Their outrageous decision to confiscate a cherished symbol of our War for Independence smacks of pure partisan politics," said Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center. "Many Americans fought and died for our independence under that flag, and the law center will take available means to return the Gadsden flag back on the veterans’ flag pole. As one Revolutionary War hero said, 'we have just begun to fight,'" he added. The Gadsden Flag The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a snake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the snake are the words "Don't tread on me". The flag was designed by and is named after American General and statesman Christopher Gadsden. It was also used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag.

Snake Symbolism The timber rattlesnake and eastern diamondback rattlesnake both populate the geographical areas of the original thirteen colonies. Their use as a symbol of the American colonies can be traced back to the publications of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin is famous for his wit and effective sense of humor. In 1751, he wrote a satirical commentary in his Pennsylvania Gazette suggesting that as a way to thank the British for their policy of sending convicted felons to America, American colonists should send rattlesnakes to England. Three years later, in 1754, he used a snake to illustrate another point. This time not so humorous. Franklin sketched, carved, and published the first known political cartoon in an American newspaper. It was the image of a snake cut into eight sections. The sections represented the individual colonies and the curves of the snake suggested the coastline. New England was combined into one section as the head of the snake. South Carolina was at the tail, following their order along the coast. Beneath the snake were the ominous words "Join, or Die." ﻿﻿This was the first political cartoon published in an American newspaper. ﻿ This had nothing to do with independence from Britain.

It was a plea for unity in defending the colonies during the French and Indian War. It played off a common superstition of the time: A snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the sections together before sunset. When American colonies came to identify more with their own community and liberty than as subjects of the British empire, icons such as Franklin's snake that were unique to America became increasingly popular. The rattlesnake, like the bald eagle and American Indian, came to symbolize American ideals and society. As the American Revolution grew, the snake began to see more use as a symbol of the colonies. In 1774, Paul Revere added it to the title of his paper, the Massachusetts Spy, as a snake joined to fight a British dragon. In December 1775, Benjamin Franklin published an essay in the Pennsylvania Journal under the pseudonym American Guesser in which he suggested that the rattlesnake was a good symbol for the American spirit: I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids — She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.

— She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. — As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal: — Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of stepping on her. — Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America? -- Benjamin Franklin Gadsden's flag In the fall of 1775, the United States Navy was established by Commander in Chief of all Continental Forces, General George Washington, before Esek Hopkins was named Commodore of the Navy, with seven ships.

Often called "Washington Cruisers", that flew the simple triangle shaped green tree with a trunk, the "Liberty Tree Flag" with the motto "Appeal to Heaven" according to the 20 October 1775 letter of Washington's aide Colonel Joseph Reed, that is in the Library of Congress. Throughout the early Revolutionary War period there were several of these "Liberty Tree" flags used by the colonists. In the book, Our Flag, the author writes: The old liberty tree in Boston was the largest of a grove of beautiful elms that stood in Hanover square at the corner of Orange . . . and Essex streets . . . It received the name of liberty tree, from the association called the Sons of Liberty holding their meetings under it during the summer of 1765. The ground under it was called Liberty Hall. A pole fastened to its trunk rose far above its branching top, and when a red flag was thrown to the breeze the signal was understood by the people. Here the Sons of Liberty held many notable meetings, and pacards and banners were often suspended from the limbs or affixed to the tree.

Meetings were held at this tree and following the repeal of the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party, the British cut down the tree. And yes, that's when it became a symbol for the American colonists. Our Navy and Marine Corps and the Gadsden Flag In the fall of 1775, the British were occupying Boston and the young Continental Army was holed up in Cambridge, woefully short on arms and ammunition. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington's troops had been so low on gunpowder that they were ordered "not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes." In October, a merchant ship called The Black Prince returned to Philadelphia from a voyage to England. On board were private letters to the Second Continental Congress that informed them that the British government was sending two ships to America loaded with arms and gunpowder for the British troops. Congress decided that General Washington needed those arms more than General Howe, so a plan was hatched to capture the British cargo ships. They authorized the creation of a Continental Navy, starting with four ships. The frigate that carried the information from England, the Black Prince, was one of the four. It was purchased, converted to a man-of-war, and renamed the Alfred.

To accompany the Navy on their first mission, Congress also authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines. Those first ships were used to intercept incoming British ships carrying war supplies to the British troops in the colonies to both deprive the supplies to the British and to supply to the Continental Army. One ship captured by Captain John Manley had 30,000 pairs of shoes on it, but the admiralty agent demanded his 2 1/2 per cent commission before he would release the cargo for Washington's army, so many soldiers marched barefoot in the snow. Remember, to aid in this, the Second Continental Congress authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines to accompany the Navy on their first mission. By 1775, the snake symbol wasn't just being printed in newspapers. It was appearing all over the colonies, on uniform buttons, on paper money, and of course, on banners and flags. The snake symbol morphed quite a bit during its rapid, widespread adoption. It was no longer cut up into pieces. It was usually shown as an American timber rattlesnake, not just some generic serpent.

The first Continental Marines enlisted in the city of Philadelphia, and they carried drums painted yellow, depicting a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, and the motto "Don't Tread On Me." Yes, our Marines have the honor of being the first to have a recorded mention of the future Gadsden flag's symbolism. At the Congress, Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden represented his home state of South Carolina. He was one of seven members of the Marine Committee who were outfitting the first naval mission. Before the departure of that first mission in December 1775, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Navy, Commodore Esek Hopkins, received the yellow rattlesnake flag from Gadsden to serve as the distinctive personal standard of his flagship. It was displayed at the mainmast. Gadsden also presented a copy of this flag to the Congress of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. This was recorded in the South Carolina congressional journals on February 9, 1776: Col.

Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American Navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike and these words underneath, "Don't tread on me." The Navy later adapted the snake emblem and "Don’t Tread on Me" motto into what is now known as the First Navy Jack. It features a rattlesnake stretched across 13 red and white stripes with "Don’t Tread on Me" below. It is interesting to note that in 2002, the Secretary of the Navy under President George W. Bush ordered this powerful American symbol will fly on all naval ships for the duration of the War on Terrorism. President Obama has ordered the Department of the Navy to stop flying this historic flag because they relate its use to the Tea Party who uses many items that the Obama Administration doesn't like to look at -- such as the Constitution of the United States. About the same time Gadsden presented the Congress of South Carolina with his yellow flag another variation of the snake theme was gaining in popularity.

The Culpeper flag, the white banner carried by the Minutemen of Culpeper County, Virginia, is essentially the Gadsden flag with several additions. A ribbon with the words “The Culpeper Minute Men” was added along with the words “Liberty or Death” in honor of the man who organized the Virginia militia, Patrick Henry. The bright yellow Gadsden flag, which has long been a symbol of support for civil liberties, has its beginning deeply rooted in the days of the American Revolution. Yes, it is a part of our Revolution to be free, our history, and those who fought to make us free. The rattlesnake, the Gadsden flag’s central feature, had been an emblem of Americans before and during the American Revolution. The Gadsden Flag stands for personal freedoms and liberties. It's message, "Don't Tread On Me" is a message to anyone that tries to take them away. And just for the record, if someone wanted to fly a real rebel flag, all they have to do is fly this one ... Called the Grand Union Flag, or the Continental Union Flag, it is believed to be the first U.S. flag.

The British saw it as a rebel flag, subsequently it is America's Original Rebel Flag! Tom Correa Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your site is very helpful. Many thanks for sharing! Gadsden flag | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The timber rattlesnake and eastern diamondback rattlesnake both populate the geographical areas of the original thirteen colonies. Their use as a symbol of the American colonies can be traced back to the publications of Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, he made the first reference to the rattlesnake in a satirical commentary published in his Pennsylvania Gazette. It had been the policy of Britain to send convicted criminals to America, so Franklin suggested that they thank the British by sending rattlesnakes to England. [1] Benjamin Franklin's " Join, or Die " cartoon In 1754, during the French and Indian War , Franklin published his famous woodcut of a snake cut into eight sections. It represented the colonies, with New England joined together as the head and South Carolina as the tail, following their order along the coast. Under the snake was the message " Join, or Die ".

This was the first political cartoon published in an American newspaper. When American colonies came to identify more with their own community and liberty than as vassals of the British empire, icons that were unique to the Americas became increasingly popular. The rattlesnake, like the bald eagle and American Indian, came to symbolize American ideals and society. [2] [3] As the American Revolution grew, the snake began to see more use as a symbol of the colonies. In 1774, Paul Revere added it to the title of his paper, the Massachusetts Spy, as a snake joined to fight a British dragon .

[4] In December 1775, Benjamin Franklin published an essay in the Pennsylvania Journal under the pseudonym American Guesser in which he suggested that the rattlesnake was a good symbol for the American spirit: "I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shown and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of stepping on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?"

 [5] Gadsden's flag Edit Gadsden's flag in an 1885 school book In fall 1775, the United States Navy was established by Commander in Chief of all Continental Forces, General George Washington, before Esek Hopkins was named Commodore of the Navy, with seven ships, often called "Washington Cruisers", that flew the simple triangle shaped green tree with a trunk, the "Liberty Tree Flag" with the motto "Appeal to Heaven" according to the October 20, 1775 letter of Washington's aide Colonel Joseph Reed, that is in the Library of Congress.

The illustration on this page shows four flags, the one in the upper left is a common artist's rendition, but is incorrect at least as far as the motto, which is "Appeal to Heaven", not "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" according to the letter from Washington's aide, and Caslon was the common font of the day, used on both the Declaration and the Constitution, not the sans serif typeface shown on the flag image. Further for survivability in the high winds at sea, a simple triangle shape evergreen liberty tree is far more likely than an intricate many branch liberty tree.[ citation needed ] Those first ships were used to intercept incoming British ships carrying war supplies to the British troops in the colonies to both deprive the supplies to the British and to supply to the Continental Army. One ship captured by Captain John Manley had 30,000 pairs of shoes on it, but the admiralty agent demanded his 2 1/2 per cent commission before he would release the cargo for Washington's army, so many soldiers marched barefoot in the snow. To aid in this, the Second Continental Congress authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines to accompany the Navy on their first mission.

The first Marines enlisted in the city of Philadelphia, and they carried drums painted yellow, depicting a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, and the motto "Don't Tread on Me." This is the first recorded mention of the future Gadsden flag's symbolism.[ citation needed ] At the Congress, Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden represented his home state of South Carolina. He was one of seven members of the Marine Committee who were outfitting the first naval mission. [6] Before the departure of that first mission in December 1775, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Navy, Commodore Esek Hopkins , received the yellow rattlesnake flag from Gadsden to serve as the distinctive personal standard of his flagship. It was displayed at the mainmast. [6] Gadsden also presented a copy of this flag to the $3 of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. This was recorded in the South Carolina congressional journals on February 9, 1776: Col.

Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American Navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike and these words underneath, "Don't tread on me." [7] Variations in appearance Edit Many variations of the Gadsden flag may be found: The motto sometimes includes an apostrophe in the word "Don't" and sometimes does not. Early written discussions uniformly include an apostrophe; however, as early as 1917 a flag reference book includes a picture of a version without the apostrophe. [6] The typeface used for the motto is sometimes a serif typeface and other times sans-serif. The rattlesnake sometimes is shown as resting on a green, presumably grassy, ground, and sometimes not. The green grass seems to be a recent addition; representations dating from 1885 and 1917 do not display anything below the rattlesnake. The rattlesnake usually faces to the left, and the early representations mentioned above face left. However, some versions of the flag show the snake facing to the right.

Other Rattlesnake flags Edit The Culpeper Minutemen flag has a coiled rattlesnake and the same motto as the Gadsden flag. It has a white field, rather than yellow, and the additional motto "Liberty or Death" and the name "The Culpeper Minute Men". It is the flag of Virginia volunteers from the Culpeper area. The John Proctor's Regiment flag of 1st Battalion Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania also had a coiled rattlesnake shown on its flag. [8] The Rhode Island Militia Artillery also used a coiled rattlesnake on its flag. Before Esek Hopkins was named the first Commodore of the American Navy by the Continental Congress, where his brother Stephen Hopkins was an influential member of the Maritime Committee, Esek Hopkins served as a Brigadier General of the Rhode Island Militia Artillery, so would have been very welcoming to the Gadsden flag that also had a coiled rattlesnake.

Despite the Rhode Island Artillery declining to provide any cannon to outfit the first seven ships of the American Navy commissioned by Washington, Hopkins was "loaned" about 200 men from Washington's Army to help him man his ships, but he was slow in "repaying" the loan according to correspondence from the Commander in Chief Washington. A sad note is that Commodore Esek Hopkins did not do well in command, and was relieved by the Continental Congress after an ill-fated raid on New Providence in the Bahamas.[ citation needed ] All four of the American designed "Rattlesnake Flags" show a COILED Rattlesnake. The only other rattlesnake flag, called "The First Navy Jack", was "designed by" the English artist Thomas Hart as background art. The traditional version of the First Navy Jack has an uncoiled rattlesnake and the same motto as the Gadsden flag, on a field of 13 horizontal red and white stripes.

Flag experts ( vexillologists ) speculate that either the English Artist Thomas Hart either did not know about the practice of Rattlesnakes to coil in defense, or did, and intended to insult the fledgling American Navy as a weak and vulnerable creature as a rattlesnake is when not coiled and ready to strike, slithering on the ground, trying to escape, with its motto "(Please) Don't Tread on Me!". However, others suggest the snake pictured on the flag was being provoked, and is striking. Hence the warning, "Don't tread on me (or I will strike)".[ citation needed ] Contemporary significance Edit First U.S. Navy Jack Celebrating with the Gadsden flag, early morning, May 2, 2011, hours after the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death Considered one of the first flags of the United States, the flag was later replaced by the current Stars and Stripes (or Old Glory ) flag. Since the Revolution, the flag has seen times of reintroduction as a symbol of American patriotism, a symbol of disagreement with government, or a symbol of support for civil liberties.

The First Navy Jack , which was not directly related to the Gadsden flag, has been in use by the United States Navy since its beginnings. Unlike the Liberty Tree Flag with the letter by Colonel Joseph Reed that describes it, there is no document that describes the Snake on Stripes flag, only an image by an English artist Thomas Hart in the background of a portrait of Commodore Esek Hopkins. In that same painting is a "tree flag" with a round shape. The triangle shape of the Liberty Tree flag is derived from the only surviving tree flag from the Revolution, found in an old trunk in 1993 on Long Island, the 5th Regt. Connecticut Militia. The same artist, Thomas Hart, painted Palm Trees in the background of Colonel Benedict Arnold outside Quebec City, not too likely.

However, the Snake on Stripes flag was included in a book of flags by Admiral Preble, but later Preble determined the flag not valid so removed it from his text, but the book publisher used the old color plates, so the image was continued in the new edition, and subsequently picked up by other publications and the Webster's Dictionary.[ citation needed ] In preparation for the bicentennial year 1976, staff officers in the Secretary of the Navy's office sought an powerful image for the Navy's Bicentennial. One Navy officer saw the Snake on Stripes Flag in Websters Dictionary, and ordered a large number to give away as Navy Promotional Items, and then, went to the Naval Historical Center to "get the history". They were told that the flag had probably never flown during the Revolution, based on Admiral Preble's later discoveries, but a decision was made to use the Snake on Stripes Flag, or the "Fake Snake Flag" anyway. Beginning in 1975, commissioned Navy ships flew this Jack in place of the Naval Jack (Officially known as the Union Jack, not to be confused with the United Kingdom's Flag) at the bow.

In 1977, the Secretary of the Navy directed that the ship in active status with the longest total period of active service shall display the First Navy Jack until decommissioned or transferred to inactive service, at which time the flag shall be passed to the next ship in line with appropriate honors. The display of this jack by the oldest ship in the fleet is intended as a form of recognition to promote pride of service, enhance morale, and contribute to the tradition of naval service. USS Enterprise (CVN 65) became the oldest active ship in the United States Navy upon the decommissioning of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) on 12 May 2009. Enterprise is only the third aircraft carrier ever to hold the honor of flying the First Navy Jack. [9] In addition, since the first Patriot Day on September 11, 2002, which commemorates the lives lost in the September 11 attacks , The rattlesnake from the flag is also shown on the U.S. Army 's Drill Sergeant Identification Badge .

After the Snake On Stripes Flag became the Navy's symbol for the Global War on Terrorism, flag history professionals[ vague ] ( vexillologists ) have done extensive research papers that further question the claim that the flag ever flew during the American Revolution, yet though a "Fake Snake Flag", it continues to fly at the bow of American warships today.[ citation needed ] For historical reasons, the Gadsden flag is still popularly flown in Charleston, South Carolina, the city where Christopher Gadsden first presented the flag, and where it was commonly used during the revolution, along with the blue and white crescent flag of pre-Civil War South Carolina. In popular culture Edit Athletic apparel company Nike uses the image of a rattlesnake coiled around a soccer ball for an ongoing, patriotic "Don't Tread on Me" campaign in support of the United States men's national soccer team . The phrase has become a rallying cry for American soccer fans and the Gadsden flag can occasionally be seen at national team games. A representation of the rattlesnake is contained on the inside of their uniforms, over the heart, with the initials "D.T.O.M.", which were used in the 2010 World Cup .

[10] The Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer expansion team in 2010, incorporated the coiled snake into its logo that was unveiled in May, 2009. The classic science-fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land mentions a pet snake being kept in the show window of a tattoo parlor, backed with a four-color picture painted with the words 'Don't Tread on Me'. It also appears in a historical context in the 2000 film The Patriot in Charleston and in battle alongside the Old Glory flag. In the apocalyptic 2006 CBS TV drama Jericho , the flag makes several appearances, most notably in the series finale as Jericho's acting mayor takes down the flag of the "Allied States of America", which had been flying at the town hall following a federal coup. He replaces the red, white, and blue flag of the central government with a Gadsden Flag which the previous mayor had kept framed in his office. The scene depicts a once-collaborative character as finally having summoned the courage to be in open defiance against a supreme government.

[11] The heavy metal band Metallica recorded a song called "Don't Tread on Me" on their self-titled fifth studio album. The album cover features a picture of a coiled rattlesnake almost exactly like the one found on the Gadsden Flag. The song features lyrics referring to the American Revolutionary War . 311's eighth studio album is titled Don't Tread on Me released 2005. The New Jersey based punk rock group Titus Andronicus features one on the cover of their album The Airing of Grievances, and the flag is frequently seen with them on tour. Rock/Country singer Aaron Lewis makes reference to the flag in a song called "Country Boy" on his debut solo album Town Line . The Hardcore Band Cro-Mags also had a song named "Don't Tread on Me" on their debut album "Age of Quarrel".

[12] The Gadsden Flag is also seen in the Futurama episode "All the President's Heads" where it is shown at the New New York Head Museum and again at the same location save Bender Bending Rodríguez changing the flag to a picture of him—cigar in one hand, other hand pointing at his posterior—with a colonial spelling of his catchphrase "Bite my shiny metal ass" underneath. On the February 18, 2013 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw , the characters Jack Swagger and his manager Zeb Colter cut a faux anti-illegal immigration promo (in kayfabe ) with this flag seen in the background. The flag would be prominent in several similar promos in the following weeks, while the coiled snake and "Don't Tread on Me" motifs have also been used in Swagger's entrance video and digital entrance graphics. Since joining up with Swagger and Coulter, Antonio Cesaro has either carried the Gadsden flag or worn it as a cape during his ring entrance.

In the video game Fallout: New Vegas, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, the Courier is given the quest "Don't Tread on the Bear!" which is a reference to both the "Don't Tread on Me" used on the Gadsden flag and the faction The New California Republic, whom the player has the choice to side with, their flag depicts a two headed bear. In the video game Assassin's Creed III , which is partially set in Boston circa 1775, the Gadsden flag can be seen adorning the walls of many houses and alleyways. The flag is framed in Sam Seaborn 's office on The West Wing television series and in the background of Josiah Bartlet's speech in "The Shadow of Two Gunmen" . Tea Party Movement symbol Edit The flag on a t-shirt at a Tea Party rally in March 2009. Beginning in 2009 at Tea Party rallies, the Gadsden Flag has been adopted as a symbol of the American Tea Party movement . [13] [14] [15] [16] It was also displayed by members of Congress at Tea Party movement rallies.

[17] Some lawmakers have called it a "political symbol" because of this association. [15] [18] In March, 2013, the city of New Rochelle, New York ordered the removal of the Gadsden flag from the city's vacant armory building because they feared that the flag would be seen as political. The next month, a veterans group, the United Veterans Memorial & Patriotic Association, filed suit against the city. [19] The suit is currently pending. Early American Flags with Snake Motif The rattlesnake was the favorite animal emblem of the Americans even before the Revolution. In 1751 Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette carried a bitter article protesting the British practice of sending convicts to America. The author suggested tht the colonists return the favor by shipping "a cargo of rattlesnakes, which could be distributed in St. James Park, Spring Garden, and other places of pleasure, and particularly in the noblemen's gardens." Three years later the same paper printed the picture (as seen above) of a snake as a commentary on the Albany Congress. To remind the delegates of the danger of disunity, the serpent was shown cut to pieces.

Each segment is marked with the name of a colony, and the motto "Join or Die" below. Other newspapers took up the snake theme. By 1774 the segments of the snake had grown together, and the motto had been changed to read: "United Now Alive and Free Firm on this Basis Liberty Shall Stand and Thus Supported Ever Bless Our Land Till Time Becomes Eternity" Other authors felt the rattlesnake was a good example of America's virtues. They argued that it is unique to America; individually its rattles produce no sound, but united they can be heard by all; and while it does not attack unless provoked, it is deadly to step upon one. The Gadsden Flag The Gadsden Flag is available for purchase from my friends at U.S. Flag Depot, Inc. The Gadsden Flag: The American Revolutionary period was a time of intense but controlled individualism - when self-directing responsible individuals again and again decided for themselves what they should do, and did it- without needing anyone else to give them an assignment or supervise them in carrying it out. Such a person was the patriot Colonel Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina.

He had seen and liked a bright yellow banner with a hissing, coiled rattlesnake rising up in the center, and beneath the serpent the same words that appeared on the Striped Rattlesnake Flag - Don't Tread On Me. Colonel Gadsden made a copy of this flag and submitted the design to the Provincial Congress in South Carolina. Commodore Esek Hopkins, commander of the new Continental fleet, carried a similar flag in February, 1776, when his ships put to sea for the first time. Hopkins captured large stores of British cannon and military supplies in the Bahamas. His cruise marked the salt-water baptism of the American Navy, and it saw the first landing of the Corps of Marines, on whose drums the Gadsden symbol was painted. The 1st Navy Jack The 1st Navy Jack is available for purchase from my friends at U.S. Flag Depot, Inc. The 1st Navy Jack: One of the first flags flown by our Navy may have been an adaptation of the "Rebellious Stripes" created at the time of the Stamp Act Congress. It featured thirteen red and white stripes.

Stretched across them was the rippling form of a rattlesnake, and the words, "DON'T TREAD ON ME"- a striking indication of the colonists' courage and fierce desire for independence. The flag we know today as the first Navy Jack (sometimes known as the "Culpepper Flag") is believed to have flown aboard the Alfred, flagship of the newly commissioned Continental fleet, in January, 1776. American ships used this flag, or one of its variations, throughout the Revolutionary War. This powerful American symbol was used by the Continental Navy in 1776 and is being used again by the U.S. Navy in the War on Terrorism. Dont Tread On Me Flags- The Gadsden Flag Dont Tread On Me Flags- The Gadsden Flag Proud Member... Don't Tread on Me Community CUSTOMERS SAY... Excellent selection of current and historic patriotic gear. From my experience i'd rate them best of the internet for this niche market. If you're in the market for ... read more View All / Submit Testimonial Dont Tread On Me Flags- The Gadsden Flag Christopher Gadsden was an American patriot if ever there was one.

He led Sons of Liberty in South Carolina starting in 1765, and was later made a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1775 he was in Philadelphia representing his home state in the Continental Congress. He was also one of three members of the Marine Committee who decided to outfit and man the Alfred and its sister ships. Gadsden and Congress chose a Rhode Island man, Esek Hopkins, as the commander-in-chief of the Navy. The flag that Hopkins used as his personal standard on the Alfred is the one we would now recognize. It's likely that John Paul Jones, as the first lieutenant on the Alfred, ran it up the gaff. It's generally accepted that Hopkins' flag was presented to him by Christopher Gadsden, who felt it was especially important for the commodore to have a distinctive personal standard. Gadsden also presented a copy of this flag to his state legislature in Charleston. This is recorded in the South Carolina congressional journals: "Col.

Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, "Don't Tread on Me!" The Revolutionary standard The Gadsden flag and other rattlesnake flags were widely used during the American Revolution. There was no standard American flag at the time. People were free to choose their own banners. After the Revolution, rattlesnake flags became less common, UNTIL NOW. LET�S BRING IT BACK!

Question: What type of animal appeared on the "don't tread of me" flag?
Answer: Rattlesnake