What does “Come and Take It” mean? “Come and Take It” is a dare: a refusal to surrender something, paired with a challenge to anyone who wants to try taking it by force. The Come and Take It flag was first flown by Texian settlers at the Battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835, when Mexican troops came to take back a small cannon. The original flag was a white banner with a black cannon, a single star above it and the words “Come and Take It” below. The battle became the first fight of the Texas Revolution.
Today the flag is one of the most recognized symbols in Texas, and it is widely flown by people who value self-reliance and individual rights. Here’s the full story behind it.
The Battle of Gonzales: Where the Flag Was Born
In 1831, Mexican authorities loaned a small cannon to the settlers of Green DeWitt’s colony at Gonzales so they could defend themselves against Comanche raids. By 1835, relations between the Texas colonists and Mexico’s increasingly centralist government had soured badly.
In September 1835, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, the Mexican commander at San Antonio de Béxar, ordered the cannon returned. When the settlers refused, he sent Lieutenant Francisco de Castañeda with about 100 dragoons to retrieve it. The colonists stalled, hid the cannon and sent word to nearby settlements for help. Within days, roughly 150 to 170 volunteers had gathered under Colonel John Henry Moore.
Before dawn on October 2, 1835, the Texians crossed the Guadalupe River and attacked Castañeda’s camp, with the recovered cannon loaded and their new flag flying above it. After a brief exchange of fire and a meeting between Moore and Castañeda, the Mexican commander, under orders to avoid a full battle, withdrew to San Antonio. Casualties were minimal, but the skirmish marked the start of open war. It is often called “the Lexington of Texas,” and within months Texas declared independence, winning it at San Jacinto in April 1836.
For a closer look at the fight itself, read our post on the Come and Take It flag and the Battle of Gonzales.
What the Original Flag Looked Like
Noah Smithwick, who marched with the flag from Gonzales to Béxar, later described it as a breadth of white cotton cloth about six feet long, with the old cannon painted in black in the center, a lone star above it and the words “Come and Take It” beneath. The flag is traditionally credited to women of the DeWitt colony, including Sarah Seely DeWitt, the widow of the colony’s founder, and her daughter Evaline. Local lore holds that it was cut from the wedding dress of Naomi DeWitt.
The original flag has been lost. Our Gonzales Come and Take It cannon flag and double nylon embroidered Gonzales flag recreate the classic design.
The Phrase Is Older Than Texas
The idea behind “Come and Take It” goes back far beyond 1835:
- Thermopylae, 480 BC: According to the Greek writer Plutarch, when the Persian king Xerxes demanded that the Spartans lay down their weapons, King Leonidas replied “Molon labe,” usually translated as “Come and take them.” Our Molon Labe flag carries that version of the motto.
- Fort Morris, Georgia, 1778: During the American Revolution, when British forces demanded the surrender of Fort Morris, Colonel John McIntosh is said to have answered, “Come and take it!” The British withdrew.
At Gonzales, Texians gave the old challenge a new symbol: a cannon on a white flag.
What the Come and Take It Flag Means Today
In Texas, the flag is a point of pride, a reminder of the first stand of the Texas Revolution. It appears at parades, football games and Texas Independence Day celebrations every March 2, and the town of Gonzales celebrates its heritage each fall during its Come and Take It festival.
Across the country, the flag is also widely used as a symbol of the right to keep and bear arms, often in versions that replace the cannon with a rifle. We cover that history in the Come and Take It flag and the Second Amendment, and its appearances on clothing, signs and other media in the Come and Take It flag in popular culture.
Popular Versions of the Come and Take It Flag
- The classic Gonzales flag: black cannon and lone star on white, closest to the 1835 original. See our double-sided Gonzales cannon flag.
- Black or tactical versions: the cannon design in black and gray, like our black Come and Take It flag.
- Rifle versions: an M4 or AR-style rifle in place of the cannon. Browse our M4 Come and Take It flags.
- Molon Labe flags: the Greek form of the motto, often with a Spartan helmet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Come and Take It” mean?
It is a defiant refusal to give something up, daring an opponent to try taking it by force. At Gonzales in 1835, “it” was a small cannon the settlers refused to return to Mexican troops.
Where did the Come and Take It flag come from?
It was made by settlers at Gonzales, Texas, and first flown at the Battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835, the first battle of the Texas Revolution.
What is on the original Come and Take It flag?
A black cannon in the center of a white field, a single star above the cannon and the words “Come and Take It” below.
Is “Come and Take It” the same as “Molon Labe”?
They carry the same message. “Molon labe” is the ancient Greek phrase attributed to King Leonidas at Thermopylae, usually translated as “Come and take them.”
What happened to the Gonzales cannon?
The cannon’s fate is debated. A small cannon displayed in Gonzales is believed by many to be the original, but historians have not settled the question.
Fly the Come and Take It Flag
Whether you’re honoring Texas history or making your own statement, browse our full Come and Take It flag collection, from the classic Gonzales cannon design to modern variations, in sizes and materials for indoor display or year-round outdoor flying.
You may also like: History of the Texas Flag