Back علم غادسدن Arabic Qadsden bayrağı AZ Banniel Gadsden BR Bandera de Gadsden Catalan Gadsdenova vlajka Czech Gadsden flag German Bandera de Gadsden Spanish Gadsden bandera EU پرچم گدزدن FA Gadsdenin lippu Finnish
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| Use | Banner  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | Varies, generally 2:3 |
| Adopted | December 20, 1775 |
| Design | A 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 |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Libertarianism in the United States |
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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]
- ^ Waser, Thomas (December 6, 2016). "The Symbolism of the Timber-Rattlesnake in Early America". Herpetology Guy (Thomas Waser) on Steemit. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ "Timber Rattlesnake Conservation Strategy for Pennsylvania State Forest Lands". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. April 7, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Lowth, Robert (1794). A Short Introduction to English Grammar: With Critical Notes. pp. 67, 79.
- ^ "GADSDEN, Christopher | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Alfred". Naval History and Heritage Command. U.S. Navy. June 9, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Join, or Die". Pennsylvania Gazette. Philadelphia. May 9, 1754. p. 2. Retrieved January 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Rattlesnake as a Symbol of America - by Benjamin Franklin". greatseal.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top 23 Symbols of Freedom & Liberty Throughout History". Give Me History. November 25, 2020.
- ^ Nicholson, Katie (February 15, 2022). "From snakes to Spartans: The meaning behind some of the flags convoy protesters are carrying". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ Miller, Matthew M. F. (November 20, 2020). "The Radical Individualism Raging Throughout America". Shondaland. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ Robertson, Marcella (October 28, 2020). "Confederate flag along I-95 in Stafford removed, replaced with 'Don't Tread On Me' flag". WUSA9.
- ^ Bosso, Joe (June 25, 2012). "James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett reflect on Metallica's Black Album". MusicRadar. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ Scocca, Tom. "Flag daze". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Yellow Gadsden Flag Carries a Long and Shifting History". Snopes.com. January 8, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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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