| Known as the First U.S. Navy Jack, the flag illustrated above shows 13 red and white stripes with a rattlesnake in the middle. The rattlesnake was a traditional sign of resistance to the British. The phrase "don't tread on me" refers to the fact that a rattlesnake does not strike unless it is provoked and served as a symbol of British tyranny toward the colonies. The rattlesnake and "don't tread on me" phrase was first used in the Gadsden flag, which had a yellow field designed by Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina. This yellow flag dates back to 1775. The above flag most likely appeared as a mistake sometime in the 1800s. |
