The Gadsden Flag is known to most Americans. A yellow background with a timber rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Below the snake, the words
DONT TREAD ON ME, in bold font. The flag was designed in 1775 during the American revolution by Christopher Gadsden. The rattlesnake holds a special significance in American history, it can only be found in the United States, particularly in the area where the 13 colonies were at the time.
It was first depicted politically in Benjamin Franklin, when he sent a letter to Great Britain which he published in the
Pennsylvania Gazette, regarding Great Britains policy
of sending criminals to the Americas. Franklins satirical letter suggested that to "thank" the British for this, Americans should send rattlesnakes in over to Britain. He coined the image a second time in the
French and Indian War, when he published his famous woodcut with the snake representing the colonies. This was the first of thousands of American political cartoons published in an American newspaper. The rattlesnake quickly became a symbol of freedom as Americans started to identify as increasingly separate from the British Empire.
Before the revolution, the Sons of Liberty was a prominent group in promoting anti-British sentiment within the colonies. Christopher Gadsden was one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. Born in South Carolina, Gadsden had been sent to school in England as a boy. He returned to America in 1740, becoming a prominiet figure in American politics, praising congress's Declaration of Rights and other causes that were focused on separating from Great Britain. He soon became a leading member of the sons of liberty and this is when he designed the famous flag.
The flag was given to the commander in chief of the Navy, which was put on his flagship to represent America and was the used by the continental marines until they disbanded in 1783. The marines carried drums painted yellow depicting the flag and the logo
DONT TREAD ON ME as they marched. This was the first recorded mention of the Gadsden flags symbolism.
The Gadsden Flag has since been replaced by the classic stars and stripes, however it still remains as a symbol of freedom and of support for civil liberties. It has largely been adopted by the right wing-Libertarian party and the American Tea Party movement. Both parties platforms call for less government involvement, lower taxes, maximizing political freedom and a have a shared skepticism for authority.
The flag has also made appearance in popular culture, most notably in the 2010 World Cup, when Nike used the image of a rattlesnake coiled around a soccer ball for the patriotic
DONT TREAD ON ME campaign. The flag was seen at games, and became a rallying cry for American soccer fans.
The Gadsden Flag holds an important meaning for me in my family, we have a model on our coffee table and magnets depicting the snake on the fridge. The Gadsden Flag represents freedom and the importance of the individual. Some would say it was the first flag of America and it has an important part in American history.
Sources:
https://www.usflag.org/history/gadsden.html
https://www.gadsden.info/history.html
https://www.flagpolesetc.com/blog/gadsden-flag-history-–-don’t-tread-on-me
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-shifting-symbolism-of-the-gadsden-flag
It was interesting how you talked about the significance of the Gadsden Flag in history and in your life. I also like how you talked about the snake and how symbolic it of American freedom. It is also a key symbol of the American Revolution and was seen when Paul Revere depicted a snake fighting a British Griffin in the Massachusetts Spy in 1774. The rattle snake was also the official Seal of the War Office of the Continental Congress.
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