# Gadsden Flag Dont Tread On Me
> Gadsden Flag Don't Tread On Me is a 2015 political image-macro based on Christopher Gadsden's 1775 revolutionary banner with a coiled rattlesnake, whose Tea Party adoption sparked ironic internet parodies like No Step on Snek.
The Gadsden Flag is a yellow banner from the American Revolution featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME," designed by Christopher Gadsden in 1775[7]. After centuries as a patriotic symbol, the flag was adopted by the Tea Party movement in 2009, reigniting political debate over its meaning[9]. Online, the flag spawned a wave of deliberately crude parodies, most famously "No Step on Snek," that turned the icon of defiance into an ironic internet joke[11].
## Origin
The rattlesnake first entered American political imagery through Benjamin Franklin. In 1751, Franklin published a satirical essay in the *Pennsylvania Gazette* suggesting colonists repay Britain for shipping convicts to America by sending rattlesnakes to England[8]. Three years later, in 1754, he published the famous "Join, or Die" cartoon, depicting the colonies as segments of a severed snake, urging unity during the French and Indian War[1].
By 1775, the rattlesnake had become a popular symbol across all thirteen colonies, appearing on buttons, badges, currency, and flags[8]. That October, the Continental Congress authorized five companies of Marines to accompany the newly formed Continental Navy. Drummers for those first Marines carried yellow drums painted with a coiled rattlesnake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me"[13].
Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress and brigadier general, designed the flag bearing the now-iconic combination of rattlesnake and motto[7]. He presented it to Commodore Esek Hopkins, the first commander of the Continental Navy, who flew it as his personal ensign aboard the USS *Alfred*[10]. In February 1776, Gadsden presented a copy to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina in Charleston, where it was ordered displayed in their legislative hall[7].
The design faded from prominence after the United States adopted the Stars and Stripes in 1777[7].
- **Platform:** American Revolution (original flag), Tumblr / 4chan (meme parodies)
- **Creator:** Christopher Gadsden (flag designer), Unknown (community-created meme parodies)
- **Date:** 1775 (original flag), 2015 (internet meme parodies)
## Overview
The Gadsden Flag features a coiled rattlesnake on a yellow background above the phrase "DON'T TREAD ON ME"[7]. Named after Continental Army Colonel Christopher Gadsden, it was one of several Revolutionary War-era flags using snake imagery to represent colonial unity and defiance[3]. The rattlesnake, native to North America and known for warning before it strikes, was considered a fitting metaphor for the colonies' defensive posture against British rule[8].
In its meme form, the Gadsden Flag gets parodied through deliberately awful graphic design. Typical versions replace the detailed rattlesnake with a crudely drawn snake, swap the serif text for Comic Sans, and alter the motto to humorous misspellings like "No Step on Snek"[2]. The parodies poke fun at both the flag's earnest political symbolism and the groups who wave it most enthusiastically.
## How It Spread
### Political Revival (2000s-2010s)
The Gadsden Flag resurfaced in American culture at the start of the 21st century. Nike and Major League Soccer used it in marketing as early as 2006, and U.S. soccer supporter groups like Sam's Army adopted it in the late 1980s[3]. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. Navy ordered all ships to fly the First Navy Jack, a related flag featuring a rattlesnake across red and white stripes[4]. The flag became a common sight on T-shirts and bumper stickers[6].
The biggest modern resurgence came in 2009 when the Tea Party movement adopted the Gadsden Flag as its unofficial symbol[9]. Rallies across the country featured seas of yellow flags, and demand skyrocketed. Rick Wyatt, who ran a flag store in Glen Burnie, Maryland, told the *Boston Globe* that a year's worth of Gadsden flag inventory started selling in a single day[14]. Tea Party protesters also flew related Revolutionary War flags like the Culpeper Minute Men flag and the Betsy Ross flag[14].
The flag's new political association sparked backlash. In 2013, the city of New Rochelle, New York, voted 5-2 to remove a Gadsden Flag from a military armory after complaints it was a Tea Party symbol, prompting a lawsuit from local veterans[4]. In 2014, a U.S. Postal Service worker in Denver filed an EEOC complaint against a coworker wearing a Gadsden Flag hat, calling it "a historical indicator of white resentment against blacks stemming largely from the Tea Party"[6]. The EEOC concluded the flag "originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context" but allowed the investigation to proceed because the symbol "has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts"[7].
### Internet Meme Era (2015-Present)
Parodies of the Gadsden Flag existed online for years, but the meme hit critical mass on Tumblr in early July 2015[2]. A January 2015 version featured Pepe the Frog with the caption "DON'T TREAD ON MEMES," and a March 2015 version replaced the motto with "hhiisssss leave me a lone lads:^)" in Comic Sans[2]. These parodies shared a common aesthetic: intentionally bad graphic design, crude drawings, and absurd reinterpretations of the original message.
The "No Step on Snek" variant emerged around the same time, using a childlike doodle of a snake and deliberate misspelling in the style of other internet language memes like "Stonks"[11]. The format spread across Reddit, 4chan, Tumblr, and Twitch through 2015 and 2016, often deployed as a humorous warning when users felt disrespected[11]. Popularity peaked around April 2017, with the meme spreading to 9GAG, FunnyJunk, and Twitter[11]. Photoshop edits showing U.S. military personnel carrying modified Gadsden Flags became a popular subgenre[11].
A September 2016 Drawception game explicitly titled "don't tread on me = no step on snek" illustrated how widely the connection between the original and the parody had spread[15].
## How to Use
The Gadsden Flag meme typically follows one of several formats:
**Classic parody:** Take the original flag layout (yellow background, snake, text below) and degrade it. Draw the snake poorly, switch to Comic Sans, and replace "DON'T TREAD ON ME" with a humorous alternative. Common swaps include "No Step on Snek," "please no steppy," or absurdist non-sequiturs[2].
**Character swap:** Replace the rattlesnake with another character (Pepe the Frog, a cat, a video game sprite) while keeping the yellow background and text format[2].
**Political remix:** Alter the motto to comment on a specific issue or group. The format works for any situation where someone is asserting their right to be left alone, from parking disputes to Wi-Fi passwords.
**Reaction image:** Post the "No Step on Snek" doodle as a reaction when someone crosses a boundary or shows disrespect[11].
## Cultural Impact
The Gadsden Flag occupies an unusual position as both a government-recognized military symbol and a politically contested icon. Since September 11, 2002, every active U.S. Navy ship has flown the First Navy Jack featuring the rattlesnake and "Don't Tread on Me" motto[4]. The flag is also flown beneath the U.S. flag at many military installations[4].
In music, Metallica released a song called "Don't Tread on Me" on their self-titled 1991 album, with the snake featured on the cover[13]. The band 311 released an album and song of the same name, and hardcore group Cro-Mags made "Don't Tread on Me" one of their signature tracks[13].
The EEOC's 2016 determination that the flag is not inherently racist but can carry racial undertones "in some contexts" created a legal precedent that still shapes workplace and school disputes[7]. The 2023 Colorado school incident demonstrated how the flag can ignite national debate overnight, with coverage from the *New York Post*, *Newsweek*, the *Daily Mail*, and Fox News[5][6][12].
LGBTQ+ groups have also used the Gadsden Flag, particularly after violent attacks including a shooting in Colorado Springs, reframing the "don't tread on me" message as a statement against anti-LGBTQ+ violence[12].
## Fun Facts
- Benjamin Franklin's original rattlesnake symbolism came from a joke about sending snakes to England as payback for Britain dumping convicts in America[8].
- Gadsden spent 42 weeks in solitary confinement during the Revolutionary War after refusing to cut a deal with the British. He was locked in an old Spanish prison[8].
- The Gadsden Purchase in Arizona is named for Christopher Gadsden's grandson, who served as a diplomat[8].
- When Rick Wyatt's Maryland flag store saw Tea Party demand spike in 2009, he tried to reorder but found every manufacturer was sold out too[14].
- Jeff McQueen, who created the rival "Flag of the Second American Revolution," drove his 2008 Bullitt Ford Mustang from Michigan to Scott Brown's victory party in Boston to hand out flags to people in the front row where cameras could see them[14].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is the Gadsden Flag?
The Gadsden Flag is a yellow banner featuring a coiled rattlesnake above the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME," designed by Christopher Gadsden in 1775 during the American Revolution[7]. Online, it's also a popular meme template parodied with crude drawings and Comic Sans text[2].
### Where did the Gadsden Flag come from?
Christopher Gadsden designed it in 1775, building on Benjamin Franklin's rattlesnake symbolism from the 1750s. He presented it to Commodore Esek Hopkins of the Continental Navy[7].
### What does "Don't Tread on Me" mean?
The phrase is a warning: the colonies (later the United States) will not tolerate having their liberties violated, and will fight back if provoked. The rattlesnake, which warns before striking and never attacks first, was the chosen metaphor[8].
### How do you use the Gadsden Flag meme?
Most parodies involve replacing the detailed rattlesnake with a crudely drawn snake and changing the text to something humorous like "No Step on Snek." The yellow background and basic layout are kept to make the reference recognizable[11].
### Is the Gadsden Flag meme still popular?
The meme peaked around 2017, but the format still gets used, particularly when political controversies involving the flag surface. The "No Step on Snek" variant became a staple of internet humor merchandise[11].
### Who was Christopher Gadsden?
He was a South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress, brigadier general, and founding member of the Sons of Liberty. He designed the flag and presented it to the Continental Navy and the South Carolina legislature[8].
### Why is the Gadsden Flag controversial?
The Tea Party's adoption of the flag in 2009 politicized it[9]. Its appearance at events like the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach and Proud Boys rallies further polarized perceptions[6]. An EEOC investigation concluded the flag is not inherently racist but can carry racial undertones depending on context[7].
### What is "No Step on Snek"?
It's the most popular parody of the Gadsden Flag, featuring a childlike drawing of a snake and intentionally misspelled text. It spread across Reddit, 4chan, Tumblr, and Twitch starting in 2015[11].
### What happened with the Colorado school incident?
In August 2023, 12-year-old Jaiden Rodriguez was told to remove a Gadsden Flag patch from his backpack at a Colorado Springs school. A video of the exchange went viral with over 9.1 million views, and the school reversed its decision after backlash[12].
### Has the EEOC ruled on the Gadsden Flag?
Yes. In a 2014 complaint filed by a postal worker, the EEOC concluded the flag "originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context" but acknowledged it can be "sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts"[7].
### What military branches use the Gadsden Flag?
Since September 11, 2002, all U.S. Navy ships have flown the First Navy Jack, which features a rattlesnake and "Don't Tread on Me" over red and white stripes[4].
### When did the Gadsden Flag parodies start on Tumblr?
Sporadic parodies appeared in early 2015, but the trend became a full meme on Tumblr in early July 2015, with intentionally bad graphic design and Comic Sans as defining features[2].
## References
1. [PayID Pokies in Australia 2026 | Top Real Money PayID Casinos]()
2. ["Join or Die"]()
3. [Meme Documentation — Explained: Gadsden flag meme]()
4. [Gadsden Flag / Don't Tread On Me - Know Your Meme]()
5. [List of United States political catchphrases]()
6. [Gadsden flag, called Tea Party symbol, removed from New York military armory | Fox News]()
7. [What is the meaning of the Gadsden flag 'Don't Tread On Me' symbol and why do liberals try to link it to slavery? | Daily Mail Online]()
8. [The meaning of the Gadsden flag, symbol that got Colorado boy booted from school]()
9. [Gadsden flag | Don’t Tread on Me, Meaning, History, & Origin | Britannica]()
10. [Ammo.com: The Gadsden Flag - Don't Tread On Me - American Partisan]()
11. [The Gadsden flag is a symbol. But whose? - High Country News]()
12. [What was the origin of 'Don't Tread on Me' in early US...]()
13. [No step on snek – Meaning, Origin, Usage]()
14. [Gadsden Flag Meaning Explained and Its Revolutionary Origins - Newsweek]()
15. [Гадсденовский флаг — Википедия]()
16. [Flag daze - The Boston Globe]()
17. [don't tread on me = no step on snek - Drawception]()
18. [PayID Pokies in Australia 2026 | Top Real Money PayID Casinos]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/gadsden-flag-dont-tread-on-me
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