Gadsden Flags – Don’t Tread on Me
If you are a lover of liberty, you’ve likely seen Gadsden Flags around. They are a popular symbol of the American Revolutionary War, displaying a yellow field with a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me.”More info :https://ultimateflags.com/collections/gadsden-flags-don-t-tread-on-me-flags/
Christopher Gadsden designed this iconic flag in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War as a way to show unity among the colonies as they fought against British oppression. The rattlesnake, which was native to the Americas at that time, symbolized American patriotism. Benjamin Franklin used the rattlesnake in his satire cartoon Join or Die in 1754 to promote colonial unity and resistance against the British.
Today, the Gadsden Flag is still a popular symbol for many Americans who believe in individual freedom and limited government. The “Don’t Tread on Me” slogan evokes the idea that anyone who attempts to govern should be met with a strong sense of skepticism and the Enlightenment ideas that led to the American Revolution.
Gadsden Flags: A Journey Through Liberty and Defiance
Gadsden Flags have become a staple of the Tea Party, Second Amendment zealots, and any other group that believes in standing up against Federal authority. However, the Gadsden Flag has also been co-opted by movements that are in direct opposition to the principles of classical liberalism that this flag originally stood for.
Rather than being co-opted by forces that are hostile to our values, we need to continue to educate people about the history of this flag and its original meaning so that it can remain a strong, meaningful symbol of liberty. In the same way that the swastika, which originally had no racial connotations, was co-opted by Nazi Germany and became a symbol of hate, we must not allow the Gadsden Flag to be co-opted by groups that hold views completely at odds with what this flag has always represented.