Gadsden flag

Last updated

Gadsden flag
Gadsden flag.svg
Use Banner FIAV normal.svg
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 by Christopher Gadsden

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". [lower-alpha 1] Some modern versions of the flag include an apostrophe.

Contents

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's 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]

Appearance and symbolism

Variations in appearance

Many variations of the Gadsden flag exist. The motto sometimes includes an apostrophe in the word "Don't" and sometimes does not; [20] : 339  the typeface used for the motto is sometimes a serif typeface and other times sans-serif. The rattlesnake is sometimes shown as resting on a green ground; 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.

History of the rattlesnake symbol in America

Benjamin Franklin's Join, or Die cartoon Benjamin Franklin - Join or Die.jpg
Benjamin Franklin's Join, or Die cartoon

The timber rattlesnake can be found in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies. Like the bald eagle, part of its significance is that it was unique to the Americas, serving as a means of showing a separate identity from the Old World. Its 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 become the policy of the British Parliament to send convicted criminals to Britain's North American colonies (primarily the Province of Georgia), so Franklin suggested that Americans thank Parliament by sending rattlesnakes to Britain. [21]

In 1754, during the French and Indian War, Franklin published Join, or Die , a woodcut of a snake cut into eight sections. It represented the colonies, with New England joined as the head and South Carolina as the tail, following their order along the coast. This was the first political cartoon published in an American newspaper. [22]

In 1774, Paul Revere added Franklin's iconic cartoon to the nameplate of Isaiah Thomas's paper, the Massachusetts Spy , depicted there as fighting a British griffin. [23]

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 and its valuation for vigilance, assertiveness, individualism, unity, and liberty: [24]

[...] there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, "Don't tread on me." [...] 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 [...] The Rattle-Snake is solitary, and associates with her kind only when it is necessary for their preservation [...] '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. [...] The power of fascination attributed to her, by a generous construction, may be understood to mean, that those who consider the liberty and blessings which America affords, and once come over to her, never afterwards leave her, but spend their lives with her.

Flag of the Culpeper Minutemen Culpeper Minutemen flag.svg
Flag of the Culpeper Minutemen

The rattlesnake symbol was first officially adopted by the Continental Congress in 1778 when it approved the design for the seal of the War Office.[ citation needed ] At the top center of the seal is a rattlesnake holding a banner that says, "This we'll defend". This design of the War Office seal was carried forward—with some minor modifications—into the subsequent designs as well as the Department of the Army's seal, emblem and flag.[ citation needed ] As such, some variation of a rattlesnake symbol has been in continuous official use by the US Army for over 243 years.

Other American flags that use a rattlesnake motif include The United Companies of the Train of Artillery of the Town of Providence, the First Navy Jack, and the Culpeper Minutemen flag, among others.

In the 21st century, the Gadsden Flag has been used by supporters of the Tea Party movement.

History

Gadsden's flag in an 1885 schoolbook 1885 History of US flags med.jpg
Gadsden's flag in an 1885 schoolbook
Christopher Gadsden, designer of the flag, painted by Charles Fraser in 1819 Christopher Gadsden.jpg
Christopher Gadsden, designer of the flag, painted by Charles Fraser in 1819

George Washington established the Continental Navy in 1775 as Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces, before Esek Hopkins was named Commodore of the Navy. The first ships were used to intercept incoming transport ships carrying war supplies to the British in the colonies in order to supply the Continental Army, which was desperately undersupplied in the opening years of the American Revolutionary War.

Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden represented South Carolina in the Congress, and he was one of seven members of the Marine Committee outfitting the first naval mission. [5] [20] : 289  Paul Aron described Gadsden as a "leading advocate of an American navy." [25] The first Marines carried drums painted yellow and depicting a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles along with the motto "Don't Tread on Me." This is the first recorded mention of the flag's symbolism.[ citation needed ]

Gadsden decided that the American navy needed a distinctive flag and took it upon himself to make one in 1775. [26] [6] He gave Commodore Esek Hopkins a yellow rattlesnake flag to serve as his personal standard on USS Alfred, the flagship of America's first navy squadron. [7] [20] : 289  Gadsden intended the design to serve as a physical symbol of the American Revolution's ideals. [27] The rattlesnake was seen in Charleston, South Carolina as a "noble and useful" animal that gave warning before it attacked. [5] Before being appointed to lead the Navy, Hopkins had led The United Companies of the Train of Artillery of the Town of Providence, a unit that flew a flag similar to Gadsden's. [28] [29] He unfurled the Gadsden flag on the main mast of USS Alfred on December 20, 1775, while the ship was at anchor in Chesapeake Bay. [5] [26] Whenever he was aboard, Hopkins flew the flag from the mainmast of the flagship as his personal banner. [5] Alfred was also the first recorded ship to fly the Grand Union Flag, the first national flag of the United States, when Senior Lieutenant John Paul Jones hoisted it on December 3, 1775, while the ship floated in the Delaware River near Philadelphia. [30] [7]

By winter 1775, the South Carolina Provincial Congress expected that British forces would attack Charleston and recalled Gadsden home from Congress in Philadelphia to command the 1st South Carolina Regiment. [5] By January 14, Gadsden had both his orders to return home and permission from the Continental Congress to leave. [5] On Friday, February 9, 1776, he presented an example of his yellow rattlesnake flag to president of the Congress William Henry Drayton. [5]

Flag of the Providence United Train of Artillery The United Companies of the Train of Artillery of the Town of Providence ORIGINAL.jpg
Flag of the Providence United Train of Artillery

Gadsden's presentation of the rattlesnake flag 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." [31]

A variation of the Gadsden flag appears at a pro-secession rally in Savannah, Georgia, at the onset of the American Civil War in 1860 The first flag of independence raised in the South, by the citizens of Savannah, Ga. November 8th, 1860 - drawn by Henry Cleenewerck, Savannah, Ga. ; lithographed by R.H. Howell, Savannah, LCCN2004665374.jpg
A variation of the Gadsden flag appears at a pro-secession rally in Savannah, Georgia, at the onset of the American Civil War in 1860

In 1861, a ship from Georgia entered Boston Harbor flying a version of the Gadsden Flag with 15 stars on it signifying the 15 slave states. The captain removed the flag after a large and angry crowd gathered, who then destroyed it. [32]

Modern use

Map of states (colored yellow) that offer Gadsden flag specialty license plates. Gadsden Flag License Plate by State.svg
Map of states (colored yellow) that offer Gadsden flag specialty license plates.

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.

The Gadsden flag has become a popular specialty license plate in several states. As of 2022, the following states offer the option of obtaining a Gadsden flag specialty license plate: Alabama, Arizona, [33] Florida, [34] [35] Kansas, [36] Maryland, [37] Missouri, Montana, [38] Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, [39] Texas, and Virginia. [40] [41]

Use as a libertarian symbol

In the 1970s, libertarians began using the Gadsden flag as a symbol to represent individual rights and limited government. [42] The flag's prominent yellow or gold color is also strongly associated with libertarianism. [43] The libertarian Free State Project in New Hampshire uses a modified version of the flag with the snake replaced by a porcupine, a symbol of the libertarian movement. [44]

"Don't Tread On Anyone" libertarian variant of the Gadsden flag depicting multiple snakes of different colors in the coiled position of the snake on the original flag DontTreadOnAnyone-Snakes-Flag.png
"Don't Tread On Anyone" libertarian variant of the Gadsden flag depicting multiple snakes of different colors in the coiled position of the snake on the original flag

Other libertarian variants of the flag have changed the words "Don't Tread On Me" to "Don't Tread On Anyone", in one version replacing the single snake with multiple snakes of different colors, or in other cases with a porcupine.

Use by the left

In the mid-1970s, the New Left People's Bicentennial Commission used the Gadsden flag symbolism on buttons and literature. [45] [46]

Use by the right

Gadsden Flag, Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco (6000548743).jpg
The Gadsden flag flying over the San Francisco Civic Center Plaza
DC Capitol Storming IMG 7942.jpg
Gadsden flag flown in the area of demonstration during the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.

The Gadsden flag has also been used by groups and individuals on the right. The Gadsden flag was featured prominently in a report related to the January 6, 2021, attack of the United States Capitol. [47] [lower-alpha 2]

Use as a symbol of the Tea Party movement

Beginning in 2009, the Gadsden flag was widely used as a protest symbol by protesters who supported the American Tea Party movement. [50] [51] [52] It was also displayed by members of Congress at Tea Party rallies. [53] In some cases, the flag was ruled to be a political, rather than a historic or military, symbol due to the strong Tea Party connection. [54]

Used in a terrorist act

In 2014, the flag was used by Jerad and Amanda Miller, the perpetrators of the 2014 Las Vegas shootings who killed two police officers and a civilian. [55] The Millers reportedly placed the Gadsden Flag on the corpse of one of the officers they killed. [56]

In March 2013, the Gadsden flag was raised at a vacant armory building in New Rochelle, New York, without permission from city officials. The city ordered its removal [57] and the United Veterans Memorial & Patriotic Association, which had maintained the U.S. flag at the armory, filed suit against the city. A federal judge dismissed the case, rejecting the United Veterans' First Amendment argument and ruling that the flagpole in question was city property and thus did not represent private speech. [58]

In 2014, a US Postal Service employee filed a complaint about a coworker repeatedly wearing a hat with a Gadsden Flag motif at work. Postal service administration dismissed the complaint, but the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reversed the decision and called for a careful investigation. The EEOC issued a statement clarifying that it did not make any decision that the Gadsden flag was a "racist symbol," or that wearing a depiction of it constituted racial discrimination. [59]

In 2023, a seventh grader at The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs named Jaiden Rodriguez was removed from school for wearing several patches that were "in violation of the school’s dress code policy" including a Gadsden flag patch. [60] After high-profile backlash against the decision, including criticism from Governor Jared Polis, the school reversed its decision. [61] [62]

Rainbow version

Rainbow Gadsden flag Rainbow Gadsden flag.svg
Rainbow Gadsden flag

Street Patrol, a 1990s queer self-defense group affiliated with Queer Nation/San Francisco, used as its logo a coiled snake over a triangle holding a ribbon with the motto "Don't Tread on Me". [63] [64] Some libertarian circles use a version of the flag with the snake and motto placed over a rainbow flag. [65] Following the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, posters containing a rainbow Gadsden flag inscribed with "#ShootBack" were placed around West Hollywood. [66]

Use outside the U.S.

The Gadsden flag has been used by supporters of Argentine right-libertarian president Javier Milei. [67] During Milei's inauguration, there were Gadsden flags flown [68] which is one of the first times the flag was flown with notability in a foreign inauguration. [69]

Parodies

"No Step on Snek" parody flag No Step On Snek (Gadsden Flag).svg
"No Step on Snek" parody flag

Parodies and pastiches of the Gadsden flag exist; one common design replaces the "Don't tread on me" motto with "No Step on Snek", sometimes paired with a crudely drawn snake. [70]

The Gadsden flag has made numerous appearances in popular culture, particularly in post-apocalyptic stories.

In art

In film and television

In music

Notes

    1. ↑ During the 18th century, contractions were often written without an apostrophe. [3]
    2. ↑ Thirty-four-year-old Rosanne Boyland carried one when she collapsed from an amphetamine overdose and died in the Capitol. [48] [49]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the United States</span> National flag

    The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton, referred to as the union and bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from Great Britain, which they went on to secure by their victory in the American Revolutionary War.

    <i>Noli me tangere</i> Latin translation of "touch me not"; influential phrase derived from the Christian Bible

    Noli me tangere is the Latin version of a phrase spoken, according to John 20:17, by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognized him after His resurrection. The biblical scene has been portrayed in numerous works of Christian art from Late Antiquity to the present. The phrase has also been used in literature, and later in a variation by military units since the late 18th century.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Gadsden</span> American politician (1724–1805)

    Christopher Gadsden was an American politician who was the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement during the American Revolution. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, a merchant, and the designer of the Gadsden flag. He is a signatory to the Continental Association.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Navy</span> American navy of the Revolutionary War (1775–1785)

    The Continental Navy was the navy of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War. Founded on October 13, 1775, the fleet developed into a relatively substantial force throughout the Revolutionary War, owing partially to the substantial efforts of the Continental Navy's patrons within the Continental Congress. These Congressional Patrons included the likes of John Adams, who served as the Chairman of the Naval Committee until 1776, when Commodore Esek Hopkins received instruction from the Continental Congress to assume command of the force.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Flags of the United States Armed Forces</span> Banners which represent branches of US military forces

    The several branches of the United States Armed Forces are represented by flags. Within the U.S. military, various flags fly on various occasions, and on various ships, bases, camps, and military academies.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Esek Hopkins</span> American naval officer, merchant captain, and privateer

    Esek Hopkins was an American naval officer, merchant captain, and privateer. Achieving the rank of Commodore, Hopkins was the only Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress commissioned him as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy in December 1775.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">First Navy Jack</span> First navy jack of the United States, currently flown only by the oldest warship in the U.S. Navy

    The First Navy Jack was the naval jack of the United States from 1975 to 1976 and again from 2002 to 2019. It was authorized by the U.S. Navy and was flown from the jackstaff of commissioned vessels of the U.S. Navy while moored pierside or at anchor. Since then, it is used only as a naval jack by the oldest active warship in the U.S. Navy. The design is traditionally regarded as that of the first U.S. naval jack, flown soon after independence, but this is not supported by the historical record.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack of the United States</span> Maritime flag representing U.S. nationality

    The jack of the United States, referred to as the Union Jack by the U.S. Navy, is a maritime jack flag flown on the bow of U.S. vessels that are moored or anchored. In addition to commissioned U.S. Navy ships, the jack is used by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Military Sealift Command, the ships of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other U.S. government entities. While anchored or moored, the jack is flown on the bow of a ship, and the ensign is flown on the stern. Once under way, the jack is lowered.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Timber rattlesnake</span> Species of reptile

    The timber rattlesnake, canebrake rattlesnake, or banded rattlesnake is a species of pit viper endemic to eastern North America. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous, with a very toxic bite. C. horridus is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous Northeastern United States and is second only to its relatives to the west, the prairie rattlesnake, as the most northerly distributed venomous snake in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized.

    <i>Crotalus mitchellii</i> Species of snake

    Crotalus mitchellii is a venomous pit viper species in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico. The species was named in honor of Silas Weir Mitchell (1829–1914), an American medical doctor who also studied rattlesnake venoms. Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

    <i>Join, or Die</i> American political cartoon used during American Revolution

    Join, or Die. is a political cartoon showing the disunity in the American colonies. Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the original publication by The Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754, is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by an American colonist in Colonial America.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Tread on Me</span> American revolutionary slogan

    Don't Tread on Me, usually stylized in all caps without an apostrophe, is a political slogan dating to the American Revolution.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Tread on Me (Metallica song)</span> 1991 promotional single by Metallica

    "Don't Tread on Me" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica from their self-titled fifth album. The title is connected with the American Revolutionary War. The words "Don't Tread on Me" constitute the motto of the Gadsden flag, and the snake image on the flag is pictured on the cover of the album.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Culpeper Minutemen</span> Military unit

    The Culpeper Minutemen was a militia group formed in 1775 in the district around Culpeper, Virginia. Like minutemen in other British colonies, the men drilled in military tactics and trained to respond to emergencies "at a minute's notice".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Tree Flag</span> American Revolutionary-era flag

    The Pine Tree Flag was one of the flags used during the American Revolution. The flag, which featured a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven," or less frequently "An Appeal to God", was originally used by a squadron of six frigates that were commissioned under George Washington's authority as Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in October 1775.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Block Island</span> 1776 naval battle of the American Revolutionary War

    The Battle of Block Island was a naval skirmish which took place in the waters off Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Navy under the command of Commodore Esek Hopkins was returning from a successful raid on Nassau when it encountered HMS Glasgow, a Royal Navy dispatch boat.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">The United Companies of the Train of Artillery of the Town of Providence</span> Military unit

    The United Companies of the Train of Artillery of the Town of Providence, known as UTA, is a member of the Rhode Island Historic Commands, and takes part in many reenactments and state events. The unit was raised during the American Revolutionary War from the Fusiliers of Providence and the Artillery Company of Providence, making it one of the largest artillery units in Rhode Island. They fought at the Battle of Rhode Island and many other battles in the American Revolutionary War. The unit used a distinctive flag which featured a coiled timber rattlesnake with the motto "Do Not Tread On Me", above an anchor and the motto "In God We Hope", and a pair of cannons. The motif was surrounded by thirteen stars on a field of gold. This flag is one of the earliest uses of a rattlesnake on a flag and may have been the basis for the Gadsden flag. It is also one of the first uses of a circle of 13 stars to represent the thirteen colonies.

    SS Esek Hopkins was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Esek Hopkins, the only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an accomplished merchant captain and privateer. He is noted for his successful raid on the British port of Providence, in the Bahamas, and capturing large stores of military supplies.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778</span>

    The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 was an Act of Congress passed by the Second Continental Congress and signed into law by President of the Continental Congress Henry Laurens in 1778. It was the first piece of legislation concerning whistleblower protection in the United States passed by Congress. The act was created as a result of Continental Navy officer Esek Hopkins being reported on by fellow officers for torturing British prisoners of war. Congressional politicians, aware of the burdens the act placed on American civil servants, included in the act a provision for legal expenses in the event that whistleblowers were the subject of legal proceedings. Laurens signed the act into law in York, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1778.

    References

    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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Godbold Jr., E. Stanly; Woody, Robert Hilliard (1982). Christopher Gadsden and the American Revolution. Univ. of Tennessee Press. pp. 142–150. ISBN   978-0-87049-363-8.
    6. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 "Alfred". Naval History and Heritage Command. U.S. Navy. June 9, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023. Alfred, Hopkins' flagship, was placed in commission on 3 December 1775
    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 logo PLoS transparent.svg
    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.
    20. 1 2 3 McCandless, Byron; Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor (1917). Our flag number: with 1197 flags in full colors and 300 additional illustrations in black and white. National Geographic Society . Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    21. ↑ Leepson, Marc; DeMille, Nelson (2006). Flag: An American Biography. Macmillan. p. 12. ISBN   978-0-312-32309-7 . Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    22. ↑ "The Colorful History of Comic Books and Newspaper Cartoon Strips". ThoughtCo. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
    23. ↑ "A More Perfect Union: Symbolizing the National Union of States". Library of Congress. July 23, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    24. ↑ Franklin, Benjamin (December 27, 1775). "The Rattlesnake as a Symbol of America". The Franklin Institute. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000.
    25. ↑ Aron, Paul (2008). We Hold These Truths...: And Other Words That Made America. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 51. ISBN   978-0-7425-6273-8.
    26. 1 2 McDonough, Daniel J. (2000). Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens: The Parallel Lives of Two American Patriots. Susquehanna University Press. pp. 169–173. ISBN   978-1-57591-039-0.
    27. ↑ Godbold, E.; Woody, Robert (January 1982). Christopher Gadsden and the American Revolution. The University of Tennessee Press. ISBN   0-87049-362-0.
    28. ↑ "United Company of the Train of Artillery (U.S.)". www.crwflags.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
    29. ↑ "Flag of the United Train of Artillery of Providence". The Monticello Classroom. January 28, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
    30. ↑ Rankin, Hugh F. “The Naval Flag of the American Revolution.” William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 3, 1954, pp. 340–53. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1943310. Accessed 20 Feb. 2023.
    31. ↑ Hicks, Frederick Cocks (1918). The flag of the United States. United States Government Printing Office. p.  23 . Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    32. ↑ "The disgraced Confederate history of the 'Don't Tread on Me' flag". Washington Post. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
    33. ↑ "2020 Arizona Revised Statutes :: Title 28 - Transportation :: § 28-2439 Don't tread on me special plates". Justia Law. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
    34. ↑ Neuman, Scott (August 10, 2022). "A Florida license plate has reopened the debate over the 'Don't tread on me' flag". NPR. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
    35. ↑ Abad, Dylan (August 2, 2022). "Florida's new 'Don't Tread On Me' license plate stirs controversy". WFLA-TV . Retrieved August 27, 2022.
    36. ↑ Taborda, Noah (April 12, 2021). "Kansas Legislature endorses Gadsden flag license plate supporting state rifle association". Kansas Reflector. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
    37. ↑ "Gadsden Pew Club license plate". Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
    38. ↑ "Service Organizations & Associations". Montana Department of Justice.
    39. ↑ "Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park". friendsofsycamoreshoals.org. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
    40. ↑ "Seven States Now Offer 'Don't Tread on Me' License Plates; Is Yours on the List? - Tea Party News". Tea Party. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    41. ↑ Schwarz, Hunter (August 25, 2014). "States where you can get a 'Don't Tread On Me' license plate". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    42. ↑ Walker, Rob. "The Shifting Symbolism of the Gadsden Flag". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
    43. ↑ Sawer, Marian (April 18, 2007). "Wearing your Politics on your Sleeve: The Role of Political Colors in Social Movements". Social Movement Studies. 6 (1): 39–56. doi:10.1080/14742830701251294. ISSN   1474-2837. S2CID   145495971.
    44. ↑ Doherty, Brian (November 16, 2016). "Free State Project Supporter Shot in Fight That Began Over Its Porcupine Flag". Reason . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
    45. ↑ Hall, Simon. "'Guerrilla-Theater... In the Guise of Red, White, and Blue Bunting': The People's bicentennial Commission and the Politics of (Un-)Americanism. Journal of American Studies, Vol. 52, No. 1 (February 2018); pp. 114–136. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018; pp. 114-136
    46. ↑ Daly, Christopher. "The Peoples Bicentennial Commission: Slouching Towards the Economic Revolution" The Harvard Crimson April 28, 1975
    47. ↑ Rosenberg, Matthew; Tiefenthäler, Ainara (January 13, 2021). "Decoding the Far-Right-Symbols at the Capitol-Riot". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
    48. ↑ Melendez, Pilar (April 7, 2021). "Capitol Rioter Rosanne Boyland died from Drug-Overdose, not trampling". The Daily Beast.
    49. ↑ "Death of QAnon-Follower at Capitol leaves a Wake of Pain" . The New York Times. May 30, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
    50. ↑ "Gadsden flag denied over State Capitol". New Haven, Connecticut: WTNH. May 26, 2010. Archived from the original on January 13, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
    51. ↑ Hayes, Ted (May 27, 2010). "'Tea Party' flag rankles some". East Bay Newspapers. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
    52. ↑ Macedo, Diane (April 7, 2010). "Connecticut Marines Fight for 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag Display". Fox News . Retrieved August 2, 2010.
    53. ↑ "Gadsden Flags Flying Off the Shelves in Support of the Tea Party Tax Protest" (Press release). FlagandBanner.com. Marketwire. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2009– via Reuters.
    54. ↑ "Tea Party flag will not fly at Connecticut Capitol". NECN. April 8, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
    55. ↑ "Las Vegas shooting suspects left swastika, 'Don't tread on me' flag on dead officers". CBS News.
    56. ↑ "Two Cops, Three Others Killed in Las Vegas Shooting Spree". NBC News. June 10, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
    57. ↑ "Flag's Believed Ties To Tea Party Lead To Removal From New Rochelle Building". CBS 2 New York. April 22, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    58. ↑ "New Rochelle veterans lose Gadsden flag case". The Journal News / Lohud. December 24, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
    59. ↑ "What You Should Know about EEOC and Shelton D. v. U.S. Postal Service (Gadsden Flag case)". U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
    60. ↑ "Colorado Springs 12-year-old did not back down from wearing symbolic 'Don't Tread on Me' patch to school". KOAA News 5. August 30, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
    61. ↑ Clark, Jeffrey (August 30, 2023). "12-year-old boy who got in trouble for wearing Gadsden flag patch wins victory over school: report". Fox News. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
    62. ↑ Kenney, Andrew. "Gov. Jared Polis defends Gadsden flag after student reportedly removed from Colorado Springs class". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
    63. ↑ Miles, Sara (July 1, 1992). "The Fabulous Fight Back". Outlook (17): 57, 59. OCLC   17286887.
    64. ↑ Collie, Robert (April 29, 1991). "Squad patrols Castro for gay-bashers". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
    65. ↑ "Gadsden Flag (U.S.)". Flags of the World. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
    66. ↑ Branson-Potts, Hailey (June 16, 2016). "West Hollywood plastered with rainbow #ShootBack signs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
    67. ↑ Goñi, Uki (August 14, 2023). "Far-right outsider takes shock lead in Argentina primary election". TheGuardian.com .
    68. ↑ "Argentina's newly sworn-in President Milei warns of shock adjustment to economy". PBS NewsHour. December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
    69. ↑ Sugarman, Jacob (December 10, 2023). "The enmity and the ecstasy of Javier Milei's inauguration". Buenos Aires Herald. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
    70. ↑ Kim, Eddie (September 30, 2020). "The Beautiful, Insane World of 'Don't Tread on Me' Parody Flags". MEL Magazine . Retrieved February 10, 2021.
    71. ↑ "Jericho Video – Jericho – Season 2: Episode 7: Patriots And Tyrants w/ Commentary". CBS. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
    72. ↑ "Parks And Rec: 10 Hidden Details About Ron Swanson's Office". ScreenRant. November 14, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
    73. ↑ MacLeod, Riley (January 29, 2023). "'The Last of Us' tells a new but familiar queer love story". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
    74. ↑ Masciotra, David (2015). Metallica. 33 1/3. Vol. 108. Bloomsbury. p. 65.

    Commons-logo.svg Media related to Gadsden flag at Wikimedia Commons

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.