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Gadsden flag

Gadsden flag
UseBanner Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
ProportionVaries, generally 2:3
AdoptedDecember 20, 1775
DesignA yellow banner charged with a yellow spiraled timber rattlesnake facing toward the hoist sitting upon a patch of lush green grass, with thirteen rattles, representing the thirteen colonies, the words Dont Tread on Me positioned below the snake in black font
Designed byChristopher Gadsden
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The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a timber rattlesnake[1][2] coiled and ready to strike. Beneath the rattlesnake are the words Dont Tread on Me.[a] Some modern versions of the flag include an apostrophe.

The flag is named after Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolinian delegate to the Continental Congress and brigadier general in the Continental Army,[4][5] who designed the flag in 1775 during the American Revolution.[6] He gave the flag to Commodore Esek Hopkins, and it was unfurled on the main mast of Hopkins' flagship USS Alfred on December 20, 1775.[5][7] Two days later, Congress made Hopkins commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy.[8] He adopted the Gadsden banner as his personal flag, flying it from the mainmast of the flagship while he was aboard.[5] The Continental Marines also flew the flag during the early part of the war.[6]

The rattlesnake was a symbol of the unity of the Thirteen Colonies at the start of the Revolutionary War, and it had a long history as a political symbol in America. Benjamin Franklin used it for his Join, or Die woodcut in 1754.[5][9] Gadsden intended his flag to serve as a physical symbol of the American Revolution's ideals.[5]

The flag has been described as the "most popular symbol of the American Revolution."[5] Its design proclaims an assertive warning of vigilance and willingness to act in defense against coercion.[10] This has led it to be associated with the ideas of individualism and liberty.[11][12][13][14][15][16] It is often used in the United States as a symbol of right-libertarianism, classical liberalism, and small government, as well as for distrust or defiance against authorities and government.[17][18][19]

  1. ^ Waser, Thomas (December 6, 2016). "The Symbolism of the Timber-Rattlesnake in Early America". Herpetology Guy (Thomas Waser) on Steemit. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Timber Rattlesnake Conservation Strategy for Pennsylvania State Forest Lands". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. April 7, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  3. ^ Lowth, Robert (1794). A Short Introduction to English Grammar: With Critical Notes. pp. 67, 79.
  4. ^ "GADSDEN, Christopher | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Godbold Jr., E. Stanly; Woody, Robert Hilliard (1982). Christopher Gadsden and the American Revolution. University of Tennessee Press. pp. 142–150. ISBN 978-0-87049-363-8.
  6. ^ a b "Short History of the United States Flag". American Battlefield Trust. November 6, 2019. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Alfred". Naval History and Heritage Command. U.S. Navy. June 9, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Esek Hopkins appointed Commander-in-Chief of Continental Navy". California SAR. December 22, 2022. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  9. ^ "Join, or Die". Pennsylvania Gazette. Philadelphia. May 9, 1754. p. 2. Retrieved January 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "The Rattlesnake as a Symbol of America - by Benjamin Franklin". greatseal.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Top 23 Symbols of Freedom & Liberty Throughout History". Give Me History. November 25, 2020.
  12. ^ Nicholson, Katie (February 15, 2022). "From snakes to Spartans: The meaning behind some of the flags convoy protesters are carrying". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  13. ^ Miller, Matthew M. F. (November 20, 2020). "The Radical Individualism Raging Throughout America". Shondaland. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  14. ^ Robertson, Marcella (October 28, 2020). "Confederate flag along I-95 in Stafford removed, replaced with 'Don't Tread On Me' flag". WUSA9.
  15. ^ Bosso, Joe (June 25, 2012). "James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett reflect on Metallica's Black Album". MusicRadar. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Scocca, Tom. "Flag daze". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "Yellow Gadsden Flag Carries a Long and Shifting History". Snopes.com. January 8, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  18. ^ Neuman, Scott (August 10, 2022). "A Florida license plate has reopened the debate over the 'Don't tread on me' flag". NPR. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  19. ^ Rosenberg, Matthew; Tiefenthäler, Ainara (January 13, 2021). "Decoding the Far-Right Symbols at the Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2022.


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