Last modified: 2019-01-01 by rick wyatt
Keywords: united states | rattlesnake | dont tread on me | gadsden |
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![[Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us-gads.gif)
image by Rick Wyatt, 5 April 1998
See also:
The Gadsden flag is associated with Christopher Gadsden, who was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He presented a flag to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina on Friday, February 9, 1776. The journal of the South Carolina congress describes the flag as "an elegant standard, such as is said 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, 'DONT TREAD ON ME!' "
Devereaux Cannon and Christopher Koceja, 25 September 2001
In February of 1776 - Commodore Esek Hopkins' ships put to sea for first time carrying a version of the Gadsden flag (yellow background, coiled snake, 'Don't Tread on Me').
David S. Cohen, 21 December 1997
This flag was used, as described by Gadsden, as the Commodore's flag. No apostrophe.
Dave Martucci, 21 December 1998
![[Black Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us_gadbk1.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 20 October 2013
Some further information just texted to me is that the Black Gadsden
Flag is based on the Market Anarchy or Anarcho-Capitalist flag. Also called
known the "Black and Gold" or "Black and Yellow" flag, the black represents
Anarchy and the yellow/gold represents physical gold. According to my source,
"Gold is a symbol of alternate and competing currencies as well as the Free
Market."
Pete Loeser, 20 October 2013
![[Black Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us_gadbk2.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 20 October 2013
![[Black Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us_gadbk3.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 20 October 2013
![[Gay Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us_gad_gay.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 23 October 2013
The gay rainbow flag with the addition of rattlesnake and inscription DONT
TREAD ON ME was recently introduced. Most of its photos are still from the
online shops, but the examples of its use are also appearing, like this one:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/FranklinCountyLP/photos/?tab=album&album_id=598555430177125
Tomislav Todorovic, 23 October 2013
![[Keep Fear Alive Protest Gadsden flag]](../images/u/us_omg.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 25 October 2013
A "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" took place on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C. on Oct 30, 2010. Billed as an "anti-extremism" gathering, it
was hosted by Jon Stewart (of Comedy Central - "The Daily Show") and Stephen
Colbert (of Comedy Central - "The Colbert Report"). A huge crowd attended, and
apparently it received mixed reviews, too much clowning around for some people.
The participants brought many humorous or ironic signs, many spoofing the
flags present at Tea Party rallies, an example would be this modified Gadsden
flag with the motto "Don't tread on me" replaced with "OMG SNAKE! HELP! SNAKE!".
The red slogan "KEEP FEAR ALIVE" was also inserted into the snake's coils.
Pete Loeser, 25 October 2013