Who knows the history of “Don’t Tread on Me”? I feel a R3volution!

When it comes to inspiring freedom and patriotism for our country, the Gadsden flag “Don’t Tread on Me”, historically could be the most important flag we ever created.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...

It was first used in a satirical article by Ben Franklin in 1751 in response to the British sending convicted criminals to the US; he stated in his Pennsylvania Gazette that maybe we should send rattlesnakes back to England.

(I would argue that the Crown’s practice has never stopped; only the people they are sending just have not been convicted...YET!).

Franklin used the snake again in 1754 as a cartoon for unity of the Colonies during the French Indian War (incidentally this was America’s first political cartoon). The symbolic rattle snake was divided into eight parts with each part representing different Colonies along the coast with New England being the head of the snake and South Carolina being the tail. The symbol of the snake cut in eight parts was based on a myth of the time that proclaimed that if the snake was ever severed then allowed to rejoin, it could continue as one.

The slogan “Join, or Die” was written below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...

1765 the snake was used again to unite against a common enemy when the British proposed that the Colonies should pay for the expense of the French Indian War. This was the Stamp Act.
The British stated…
Why shouldn't the Colonies -- "children planted by our care, nourished by our indulgence," as Charles Townshend of the House of Commons put it – “pay off England's debt”?
Colonel Isaac Barre, who had fought in the French and Indian War, responded that the colonies hadn't been planted by the care of the British government; they'd been established by people fleeing it. And the British government hadn't nourished the Colonies, they'd flourished despite the actions of the British government.
In this speech, Barre referred to the colonists as "Sons of Liberty."

As the “Sons of Liberty” came closer and closer to revolt it was used more and more by the Colonies. It was used in newspapers, as buttons, on money as well as on flags.

1774 Paul Revere used it at the header of his paper “The Massachusetts Spy” and showed the snake fighting a British dragon. This was a true act of defiance.

http://commons.wikimedia....

1775 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania created this flag showing the British Union Jack in the top right of the flag with a rattle snake coiled and ready to strike the Union Jack as a symbolic gesture. It was adopted as the official flag of Westmoreland Co. in 1973.

http://www.clanhannay.us/...

1775 Culpeper County, VA used this flag with the coiled rattlesnake and on each side the inscription “Liberty or Death” and on the bottom, “Don’t Tread on Me”. “Liberty or Death” was taken from the great words of Patrick Henry; which he spoke that March at the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention.

http://www.hmdb.org/marke...

Only appropriate to include Patrick Henry’s speech of “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”. Gives me chills to read this…

http://www.history.org/Al...

1775 The first Naval Jack is described as 13 stripes with the rattlesnake uncoiled across the stripes with the words “Don’t Tread on Me” across the bottom.

The Secretary of the Navy issued Instruction 10520.6 on May 31, 2002, directing all Navy ships to fly this flag as a "temporary substitution" for the Jack of the United States the Global War on Terrorism. Most made the switch on Sept. 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...

1778 it was placed on the Georgia $20 bill with the Latin motto, “nemo me impune lacesset”, meaning “no one will provoke me with out impunity”.

http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/CurrencyImages/GA/GA-05-04-78-$20.obv.jpg

The Gadsden Flag History

Christopher Gadsden was a true American patriot. He led the Sons of Liberty in 1765 in South Carolina and later was a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1775 he was in Philadelphia as the representative of South Carolina at the Continental Congress and was one of three members of the Marine committee. During this time along with the congress, Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island was chosen as the commander-in-chief of the Navy. Gadsden presented the new commander the Gadsden Flag to be flown by the commander as his own personal standard. It is believed to have been first hoisted by his first lieutenant John Paul Jones on the commander’s ship, The Alfred, on there first naval mission.

Gadsden presented a copy of the flag to the South Carolina legislature in Charleston and the following quote is recorded in the states congressional journals:

"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 rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, "Don't Tread on Me!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...

Now that you know the history of the Gadsden flag, you may ask, why did Franklin choose the rattle snake as a symbol of America’s willingness to fight? Well, I am glad you asked…

December 1775, "An American Guesser" anonymously wrote to the Pennsylvania Journal:
First, it occurred to him that "the Rattle-Snake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America."
The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and "may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance." Furthermore,
"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her."
Finally,
"I confess I was wholly at a loss what to make of the rattles, 'till I went back and counted them and found them just thirteen, exactly the number of the Colonies united in America; and I recollected too that this was the only part of the Snake which increased in numbers. ...
"'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. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living."

Dear Sons and Daughters of Liberty, I appeal to you on the Daily Paul to look at the similarities between the years 1750 to the end of the war for Independence and compare that to the last 30 years today. I would argue that our freedoms are under attack today not just through unfair taxation but we are being robbed of making a fair living by the same Central Bank sent by the same British Crown. The goal has been GLOBAL DOMINATION and there tools are to use the Central Bank to make all of us there labor slaves. Our country is being use as a world military to enforce this Monetary Slave machine globally. I begin to wonder how we let them back in or did they really ever leave. I say it is time to shut down this Federal Reserve and let them know YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN OUR COUNTRY!

WE ARE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF LIBERTY AND I SAY …“DON’T TREAD ON ME”!