Gadsden flag

The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag showing himself to bite righting rattlesnake on a yellow background field. Below the snake image is the motto "DONT TREAD ON ME " ( something like: " Do not step too close to me "). The flag was named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden, who has also designed this.

The snake symbol

The use of the rattlesnake as a symbol of American colonies can be traced back to the days of Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, he first mentioned the rattlesnake in a satirical commentary of his newspaper Pennsylvania Gazette. At that time it was common that the British colonial masters spent many sentenced prisoners from Britain to America. Franklin suggested in his comment that one should thank the British in the form that was sent in return rattlesnakes to England.

As the American Revolution approached, the rattlesnake was made ​​more and more a symbol of the colonies. In 1774, Paul Revere added, publisher of the newspaper The Massachusetts Spy, a snake in the title page. There she was shown in the struggle against the "British Dragon". Benjamin Franklin said a year later, the rattlesnake at an excellent symbol that embodied the " spirit of America ".

The Gadsden flag

In the fall of 1775, the Navy of the United States was established to intercept incoming British ships, laden with supplies for the British troops in the colonies. To support the activities presented to five companies to Marines. The first of these soldiers were from Philadelphia and led yellow colored drums with him, on which a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, and the motto tail Do not tread on me was mapped. This is the first demonstration of the symbols on the later Gadsden flag.

At the Second Continental Congress represented Colonel Christopher Gadsden his home state of South Carolina. He was one of three responsible members of the Marine Committee who planned this first naval mission. On Friday, February 9, 1776 Gadsden presented to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina his yellow flag with the rattlesnake. It is unclear whether Gadsden himself designed the symbols or but was inspired by the yellow drums of the Marines. Shortly before the application presented Gadsden newly appointed commander in chief of the Navy, Commodore Esek Hopkins, the rattlesnake flag described above, which should serve as his personal standard. Also Gadsden later sent a copy of the flag to Charleston (South Carolina ), where she was recognized as flag of the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Navy.

Today's meaning of the flag

The Gadsden flag was replaced as one of the first known U.S. flags later by the Stars and Stripes. An occasional use in recent times is context obviously attributable to the symbolization of a U.S. patriotism.

So they showed the flag especially after the attacks of 11 September 2001 on boats of the Coast Guard and customs as well as by members of the U.S. Navy who served abroad. Also, the first American naval jack, which can be seen in close connection with the Gadsden flag, hoisted on all active naval vessels since the terrorist attacks.

Even today, the rattlesnake flag in Charleston, South Carolina, shown where Christopher Gadsden these first officially presented, and where they had been used during the American Revolution besides the blue and white " crescent flag ", the state flag.