⏺ 1754-1763: The rattlesnake symbol originated in the political cartoon “Join, or Die” published in Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette. The cartoon depicts the colonies as divided segments of a snake, inspiring the colonists to unite in the face of the French and Indian War.
⏺ 1775: A yellow flag featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” was created. The flag was later used to represent unity during the Revolutionary War.
⏺ 1776: The First Navy Jack, a variation of the Gadsden flag, was created by Commodore Hopkins, first used as a signal to engage the enemy.
⏺ 1777: The United States achieved independence and adopted the Star Spangled Banner as the official national flag over the Gadsden flag.
⏺ 21st century: The Gadsden flag resurfaced and took on libertarian undertones, but was not really attached to any particular ideology.
⏺ 2009: After the conservative Tea Party Movement emerged, the flag became increasingly associated with the movement’s right-wing views.
⏺2009-2017: Tea Party rallies adopted the flag during the presidency of Barack Obama. Actions at rallies sometimes took on racist rhetoric; by association, the Gadsden flag became a racist symbol in the eyes of some communities.
