Analysis: The Don 'T Tread On Me'

Blake Frazier
Writing 100
Forrgette
September 25, 2014

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At first glance when you look at a Gadsden flag you see the bright yellow color and the bold statement “Don 't Tread On Me” along with a rattlesnake above it. But what does these’s words mean. The Don’t Tread On Me slogan, is a slogan for every American.
The Gadsden’s flag got its name from Colonel Christopher Gadsden who was an
American patriot. He led Sons of Liberty in South Carolina starting in 1765. For those who are not familiar with them or who they were including myself. They are best known as the guys who started the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The organization was formed to protect the rights of the colonists and to stand up against the abuses of the British government.
Their motto became, “No taxation without representation.” Gadsden designed the flag for the organization in 1775 during the American Revolution.

The rattlesnake populates much of the original thirteen colonies is first used in the publications of Benjamin Franklin. In 1754, during the French and Indian War, Franklin

Frazier 2 published a woodcut of a snake into eight pieces which represented the colonies. Under the snake was the famous message “Join or
Die.” As the American Revolution grew and the colonies came to familiarize themselves with each other and the concept of liberty.
The snake became popular as a symbol of the colonies during the revolution. A literal example how the rattlesnake symbols
America is best explained by Benjamin Franklin, “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.” The rattlesnake, like the bald eagle, came to symbolize American ideals and
See figure 2. As the tea party uses it, the more controversial the flag is viewed. The phase “Don’t Tread On Me” could be everyones slogan not just the tea party. In opposition to the flag some lawmakers have called it a “political symbol” because the Tea Party uses it.
In 2005 nike launched its “Don 't Tread On Me” campaign to encourage U.S fans to support and defend the U.S as a legitimate competitor on the soccer field. Nike created several types of their own images of a rattlesnake coiled around a soccer ball that can be seen on the inside of team U.S uniforms, with the initials “D.T.O.M”, which players wore during the 2010 World Cup. Nike also created different designs of the slogan on t-shirts as shown in figure 3. Gadsden flags can occasionally be seen at national team games. People often get tattoos stating the slogan
“Don’t Tread On Me.” There is a large market of t-shirts, hats, decals and even license plates. Since Virginia released a re-creation of the Gadsden flag on one of there specialty license plates. The “Don’t Tread On Me”

Figure 3: Nike’s own image of the
“Don’t Tread on Me”