American Flag USA Flags 50-Star Cotton Sewn Grommets or Pole Sleeve

Gadsden Flag — Don’t Tread on Me Flags

Simply Choose Your Size: 3×5 or 4×6 ft – Standard Polyester

250 Years of Warning, Still Unambiguous

Few flags in American history have carried the same message across as many different eras as the Gadsden. Born in the Revolution, carried through two centuries of American political life, and as immediately readable today as it was in 1776 — the yellow rattlesnake flag needs no introduction and no translation.

Choose your size: 3×5 feet for standard pole and home display, or 4×6 feet for greater visual presence on taller poles and larger spaces.

The Flag and Its Origins

The Gadsden Flag was first raised on January 4, 1776, aboard the USS Alfred — one of the first vessels of the Continental Navy — making it the oldest recorded flag flown in an official United States military capacity, predating the Stars and Stripes by over a year.

Colonel Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina designed it and presented it personally to Commodore Esek Hopkins, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy. It has been known as the Hopkins Flag in his honor ever since.

What the Design Says

The yellow field was a deliberate choice — bold, visible, impossible to mistake at sea or on a battlefield. Against it, a coiled timber rattlesnake faces right, ready to strike, above the plain declaration: Don’t Tread on Me.

The rattlesnake carried specific meaning to the founders. It was native to American soil and found nowhere else on earth. It gave clear warning before striking — never attacking without rattling first. It never retreated. Once provoked, it was lethal. Each rattle on its tail corresponded to one of the thirteen colonies — separate segments forming a single, unified creature.

It was the perfect emblem for a nation that wanted to be left alone and was prepared to be extremely clear about what would happen if it wasn’t.

A Flag That Never Stopped Moving

The Gadsden Flag didn’t retire when the Revolution ended. It has traveled through American history in ways few other flags have matched — carried by militia units in the Civil War era, adopted by the U.S. Navy as a historical ensign, embraced by libertarian and constitutional movements in the 20th and 21st centuries, and flown by military veterans as a statement of service and principle.

The U.S. Navy has maintained a continuous tradition of flying the rattlesnake flag — in the form of the related First Navy Jack — from the bow of the oldest commissioned vessel in the fleet. The tradition connects the modern Navy directly to the Alfred and that January morning in Philadelphia harbor.

Flag Details & Construction

Quality Tier: Standard Quality

• Sizes available: 3 feet x 5 feet / 4 feet x 6 feet
• Material: Super-weave polyester — 100% synthetic, waterproof
• Dye: Through-dyed design visible on both sides
• Edges: Double-stitched throughout
• Header: Reinforced brass grommet rings for easy pole attachment
• Lightweight — flies well in fair-weather breeze

Note: Consider the all-weather nylon version as an upgraded quality alternative for continuous outdoor use.

Check out our Full Collection Here of Gadsden Flags for Sale