First National Confederate Flag – 7-Star Stars and Bars Flag Cotton Sewn with Pole Sleeve – 3×5 ft (Re-enactor’s Quality)

Gadsden Flag – Hopkins Flag – Dont Tread on Me Flags

Choose Your Size: Available in 12×18 inch, 2×3 ft, 3×5 feet, 4 x 6 feet, or 5×8 feet

Most people know the Gadsden Flag. Very few know what the man who designed it actually went through in service of the cause it represents.

Colonel Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina didn’t just design a flag and hand it over. He endured imprisonment in solitary confinement in the dungeon of the old Spanish fort of San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida — locked away by British General Cornwallis for nearly a year — and upon his release, returned directly to the fight for American independence. The flag he designed was already flying from Continental Navy ships before his imprisonment began. It kept flying while he was locked in that dungeon. It was still flying when he got out.

That kind of flag carries a different weight.

The Primary Source — February 9, 1776

Most historical flags exist in legend more than documentation. The Gadsden Flag is different. Its presentation is recorded in the Journal of the South Carolina Provincial Congress, dated February 9, 1776:

“Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, ‘DON’T TREAD ON ME!’”

That journal entry is the documentary foundation of the flag’s name and origin. It is one of the clearest primary source records of any Revolutionary-era flag’s creation and purpose — an eyewitness account of the moment the flag entered American history.

Christopher Gadsden — More Than a Flag Designer

Gadsden’s role in the Revolution extended far beyond the flag that bears his name. In 1765, a decade before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, he helped found and lead the Sons of Liberty in South Carolina — the underground patriot network that organized resistance to the Stamp Act and laid the groundwork for the revolutionary movement throughout the colonies.

He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as a member of the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress — the body tasked with outfitting the nascent Continental Navy and creating a flag for its commander-in-chief. That committee’s decision to place a rattlesnake on a yellow field with “Dont Tread on Me” was Gadsden’s direct work.

He eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Continental Army. He was no armchair patriot drafting symbols from the safety of a drawing room. He was a soldier, organizer, and prisoner of war who paid personally for every principle that flag represents.

John Paul Jones and the Alfred

When the Gadsden Flag was first raised aboard the USS Alfred on January 4, 1776, one of the officers standing on that deck was a young naval lieutenant named John Paul Jones — serving as First Lieutenant under Commodore Hopkins. Jones would later command the Alfred himself, and would go on to become the most celebrated naval officer in American history, immortalized by his declaration during a losing battle: “I have not yet begun to fight.”

The flag that flew above Jones that January morning in Philadelphia harbor was the same flag reproduced here. It was present at the beginning of both the Continental Navy and the career of America’s greatest naval hero.

“Dont” — Historically Accurate, No Apostrophe

The motto on this flag reads Dont Tread on Me — without an apostrophe. This follows the only period documentation available: contemporary renderings of the flag from the Revolutionary era clearly show the word without the punctuation that modern usage would add. This flag reproduces the historically accurate spelling rather than a modernized version.

Five Sizes — Choose Your Display

• 12×18 inches — Boats, personal watercraft, compact displays, and collector framing
• 2×3 feet — Smaller poles, bracket mounts, indoor honor displays
• 3×5 feet — The most popular size for residential poles and standard outdoor display
• 4×6 feet — Greater visual presence on taller poles and open outdoor spaces
• 5×8 feet — Maximum impact for large poles, civic buildings, and prominent displays

Flag Details & Construction

Quality Tier: Military Quality — Double Nylon Embroidered (2-Ply)

• Sizes available: 12×18 in / 2×3 ft / 3×5 ft / 4×6 ft / 5×8 ft
• Material: Double-ply nylon — twice the thickness and durability of single-layer construction
• Construction: Fully embroidered on both sides — per traditional historic flag construction, design and words appear reversed on the reverse face
• Thread: Bright embroidery thread adds texture, depth, and visual weight
• Edges: Double and quad stitched throughout
• Header: Reinforced metal grommet rings for maximum durability
• Weather rating: All-weather — built for permanent outdoor display, ships at sea, and heavy weather conditions

Recommended Uses

• Permanent all-weather outdoor pole display
• Ships, vessels, and marine environments
• Military encampments, battlefields, and armed conflict display
• Indoor honor guard and memorial display
• Veterans’ organizations and patriotic civic display
• Historical reenactments and educational exhibits
• Premium collector piece for American Revolutionary history

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Christopher Gadsden beyond designing the flag? Gadsden was one of the most committed patriots of the Revolution — founder of South Carolina’s Sons of Liberty in 1765, Continental Congress delegate, Marine Committee member, and eventual Brigadier General in the Continental Army. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement by the British at Fort San Marcos in St. Augustine for nearly a year and returned to active service upon his release.

What is the primary historical source for the Gadsden Flag? The Journal of the South Carolina Provincial Congress, dated February 9, 1776, contains a direct eyewitness account of Gadsden presenting the flag to Congress — describing the yellow field, the rattlesnake in striking attitude, and the “DON’T TREAD ON ME” inscription. It is one of the clearest documentary records of any Revolutionary-era flag’s origin.

What connection does John Paul Jones have to this flag? Jones served as First Lieutenant aboard the USS Alfred under Commodore Esek Hopkins — the ship from which the Gadsden Flag was first officially flown on January 4, 1776. He later commanded the Alfred himself before going on to become America’s most celebrated naval hero.

Why does this flag show the design backwards on the reverse? This flag follows traditional historic flag construction — the design is embroidered to read correctly from the front, with the reverse appearing mirrored. This is the standard used for national flags, military colors, and historic flag reproductions worldwide. It differs from double-sided construction where two flag faces are sewn together to read correctly from both directions.

Is Military Quality appropriate for permanent outdoor display? Yes — double-ply nylon embroidered construction is the highest-rated flag material available, built specifically for all-weather permanent outdoor display including heavy weather, marine environments, and conditions where lesser flags would degrade.