[dbussone]

I occasionally fly the Gadsden Flag (commonly called the Tea Party flag). I do so to honor my relatives who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Because of strange looks/comments I receive, I'm on a campaign to educate people about the flag's history. The material below is from Wikepedia. I hope you find this brief piece worthwhile.


The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words "Dont tread on me". The flag is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden, who designed it in 1775 during the American revolution. It was also used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag, along with the Moultrie 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. 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.

As the American colonies came to identify more with their own communities and the concept of liberty, rather 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 Franklin's iconic cartoon to the nameplate of his paper, the Massachusetts Spy, depicted there as fighting 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
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 typeface 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 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."[7]



The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words "Dont tread on me". The flag is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden, who designed it in 1775 during the American revolution. It was also used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag, along with the Moultrie 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. 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.

As the American colonies came to identify more with their own communities and the concept of liberty, rather 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 Franklin's iconic cartoon to the nameplate of his paper, the Massachusetts Spy, depicted there as fighting 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
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 typeface 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 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."[7]

[dbussone]

Sorry about the double post

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Sorry about the double post

If you will go back to your original post and look in the lower right hand corner you will see a button that says "edit post."

That will let you return to the original composing page and delete anything that you want to.

Then re-enter the posting.

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by dbussone

I occasionally fly the Gadsden Flag (commonly called the Tea Party flag). I do so to honor my relatives who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Because of strange looks/comments I receive, I'm on a campaign to educate people about the flag's history. The material below is from Wikepedia. I hope you find this brief piece worthwhile.

Good luck on that!

[Monkei]

If you google a picture of the 1907 Corn Palace you will see the Nazi Swashtika prominently displaced in that years decoration. History will tell you that before the nazi use of the symbol it had Native American importance as a symbol for good luck.



personally when I see a "don't tread on me" flag I think of the tea party and militias, I could live with the tea party reference but not the militia reference. I would not fly it anymore than I would fly a flag with a Native American symbol for good luck. Symbols get hijacked by organizations ... it happens.

I am sure that 90 percent who see it just think you are a member of the Tea Party.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Monkei

If you google a picture of the 1907 Corn Palace you will see the Nazi Swashtika prominently displaced in that years decoration. History will tell you that before the nazi use of the symbol it had Native American importance as a symbol for good luck.



personally when I see a "don't tread on me" flag I think of the tea party and militias, I could live with the tea party reference but not the militia reference. I would not fly it anymore than I would fly a flag with a Native American symbol for good luck. Symbols get hijacked by organizations ... it happens.

I am sure that 90 percent who see it just think you are a member of the Tea Party.

That's why I'm trying to educate people. I'm proud to be the direct descendent of a number of Americans who were brave enough to fight in the Revolutionary War. If someone has an inappropriate reaction to a symbol perhaps education will change that perception.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

Good luck on that!

Not going well so far!

[Monkei]

I think I would just let people find out on their own. Many people will simply assume and not ask. Buy you still have your pride.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Monkei

I think I would just let people find out on their own. Many people will simply assume and not ask. Buy you still have your pride.

Thank you.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Monkei

If you google a picture of the 1907 Corn Palace you will see the Nazi Swashtika prominently displaced in that years decoration. History will tell you that before the nazi use of the symbol it had Native American importance as a symbol for good luck.



personally when I see a "don't tread on me" flag I think of the tea party and militias, I could live with the tea party reference but not the militia reference. I would not fly it anymore than I would fly a flag with a Native American symbol for good luck. Symbols get hijacked by organizations ... it happens.

I am sure that 90 percent who see it just think you are a member of the Tea Party.

I was kind of thinking along the same lines. It is very hard to get around very strong connotations associated with some symbol or another especially if they have a huge amount of baggage. I have never met someone named Adolph for instance unless they were born before 1939 or so. Check out A Martinez -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553436/b..._=nm_ov_bio_sm

[Rags123]

I thought the history of the flag was VERY interesting and appreciate the post very much.

Why would anyone object to learning something new

[Monkei]

Yes and not only the Adolph name but just try sporting one of those Hitler mustaches around the square one night and claim it is an old Celtic style facial hair expression.

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by Rags123

I thought the history of the flag was VERY interesting and appreciate the post very much.

Why would anyone object to learning something new

You are correct and you actually were happy to learn and educate yourself, like I said most would just believe it was tea party or militia related and walk away without giving it another thought.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Rags123

I thought the history of the flag was VERY interesting and appreciate the post very much.



Why would anyone object to learning something new

Thanks. I'most proud of my heritage. One of my relatives fought at Lexington and Breed's (Bunker) Hill. Another was a marine who fought under the Gadsden flag.

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by Rags123

I thought the history of the flag was VERY interesting and appreciate the post very much.

Why would anyone object to learning something new

Now that we have learned a new, or in this case, an older version of the history behind the flag I guess we will have to ask anyone flying it or wearing it proudly to clarify which reason they are supporting. In some cases I guess they could support both.

Speaking of flags nothing makes me angrier, or just angry when I see a LARGE confederate battle flag fluttering in the wind. Now maybe if it's researched that flag too could have dual meaning. But I just think of traitors. Growing up in the state of Georgia the Confederate battle flag had many meanings and it's display offends many. I think it should only be cased in a display box for museum us only.

Dual meanings are a tuff nut to crack.

Maybe the confederate flags are just a sore spot with me. I don't know.