From 1775 to Gadsden, SC
In 1775, as the colonies prepared to defend themselves, Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina is credited with designing a simple yellow flag: a coiled timber rattlesnake above the words “Don’t Tread On Me.” The rattlesnake was already an American symbol — Benjamin Franklin had used a divided snake in his 1754 “Join, or Die” cartoon. Gadsden’s snake was whole, coiled, and ready. It gave no first strike, but it gave fair warning.
That flag flew as Commodore Esek Hopkins’s standard over the first fleet of the Continental Navy, and the Continental Marines carried the rattlesnake in the Revolution’s opening years. Two and a half centuries later, the same yellow field and coiled snake are among the most recognized symbols of American liberty.
Our Gadsden Flag (OG Flag) is a flag and brand of its own, with its own original flag design. It is not the 1775 flag or a reproduction of it. It was inspired by two things: the original flag’s message, and our hometown. Our two cofounders live in Gadsden, South Carolina, a Richland County community that a 1938 state historical marker says was named in honor of James Gadsden, a railroad president and the grandson of Christopher Gadsden. So the name is ours twice over: the town we call home, and the ideals the original flag stood for.
The original (1775)
Yellow field, coiled rattlesnake, “Don’t Tread On Me.” Designed by Christopher Gadsden, flown by the Continental Navy and Marines. A warning to anyone who would threaten American liberty.
Our Gadsden Flag (our own flag)
An original flag and brand, created by two cofounders in Gadsden, South Carolina, and inspired by the 1775 flag’s message of liberty. United by freedom: our flag, apparel, and gear, plus articles that tell the real history that inspired us.
Heritage timeline
- 1754
Benjamin Franklin publishes the “Join, or Die” snake cartoon in the Pennsylvania Gazette, making the rattlesnake a colonial symbol. Learn more
- 1775
Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina, a Continental Congress delegate, is credited with the yellow flag bearing a coiled rattlesnake and “Don’t Tread On Me.” Learn more
- 1775–76
Commodore Esek Hopkins flies it as his personal standard on the Continental Navy’s first fleet; Continental Marines carry the rattlesnake early in the Revolution. Learn more
- 1776
Gadsden presents the flag to the South Carolina Provincial Congress, recorded in its journal. Learn more
- Today
The coiled rattlesnake remains one of America’s most recognized symbols of liberty. Its message inspired Our Gadsden Flag, an original flag created by two cofounders in Gadsden, SC. Learn more
Learn the history
- Gadsden Flag: History & Meaning
- What “Don’t Tread On Me” Means
- Who Was Christopher Gadsden?
- First Navy Jack vs. Gadsden Flag
- Join or Die: The Snake Before Gadsden
- Gadsden Flag Timeline
- Gadsden Flag Variations
- Gadsden Flag License Plates
- How to Fly & Display a Gadsden Flag
Inspired by 1775
Fly our flag, wear it, carry it. Shop official Our Gadsden Flag gear at ourgadsdenflag.store.
Sources: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; The Charleston Museum; Wikipedia, “Gadsden flag”. Town name: Gadsden historical marker (HMDB); South Carolina Encyclopedia, “Gadsden, James”. See each article for full citations.