Gadsden FlagDon't Tread on Me
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The Gadsden Flag

Welcome to Gadsden.info, my website and blog devoted entirely to the Gadsden flag, the defiant "Don't Tread on Me" symbol of American independence and freedom.

I've been a fan of the Gadsden flag for years. I started this site in 2001 for other fans and as a way to help keep the spirit of the symbol alive.

In addition to the blog on this page, there are four content areas:

  1. The fascinating history of the Gadsden flag. This is as much as I've been able to gather through extensive personal research:


  2. Recommendations on the best places I know for buying Gadsden flags and related items:


  3. Free Gadsden flag downloads and resources:


  4. Interesting usages of the Gadsden flag and Don't Tread of Me symbolism:

Do you have a "Don't Tread on Me" tattoo or have you used the flag in an interesting way? E-mail me. I'd love to see it.

Yours in liberty,

Chris Whitten
chris--<at>--interesting.com (replace the --at-- with @)



Don't Tread on Me Flags

Gadsden flag

My top recommendation for buying Gadsden flags is FlagLine. It's a family-owned mail-order business based in Colorado. Josef, the owner, has been serving customers I've sent him from this site since 2001. He's trustworthy and he has the best prices.



Don't Tread on Me Merchandise

Gadsden flag products Larry and Patrick at the Gadsden and Culpeper American Heritage Shoppe have the widest selection of Gadsden products I've ever found: t-shirts ... hats ... license plates ... magnets .... everything.

Everything I've gotten from them is high-quality and the prices are right.

If you tell them I sent you, they'll thrown in a free "Don't Tread on Me" sticker with any purchase.

DTOM Blog

Gadsden flags flying in Russia

March 22nd, 2010

This is neat. There’s a nascent Tea Party movement in Russia! Boris Karpa sent me a link to a YouTube video from a Tea Party protest in Moscow and their site http://moscowteaparty.com/.

Gadsden flag in Moscow

Although I don’t read Russian, their agenda seems solidly libertarian in the American sense. They’re protesting against big government, taxes, and spending.

Custom-made Gadsden guidon

March 19th, 2010

Here’s an addendum to a post from back in August about the Gadsden cavalry guidon in the Charlton Heston movie “Major Dundee”.

Superfan GSR has had his own custom-made copy of the flag made up. Here it is in action:

Gadsden rattlensnake on cavalry guidon

GSR's Gadsden guidon

We’re still not sure if the flag was really flown by cavalry units, but now it’s really being flown by GSR.

New rattlesnake tattoos

December 17th, 2009

It’s been a long time since I did a tattoo update here and the submissions have been piling up. Check out these hardcore liberty-lovers who put the Don’t Tread on Me rattlesnake on their bodies.

Stephen's Molon Lave tattoo

Stephen

Stephen says he got this incredible tattoo on his honeymoon. Seriously. And it’s first tattoo.

That’s a hardcore liberty-lover.

He writes, “I’ve never had a tattoo, but I knew that I wanted one, and I didn’t want one that everyone else had … so, with the Gadsden imagery, I had an artist draw up a rattler with an M4, and since I’m a first generation American of Greek ancestry, decided to go with the Greek lettering above. The Molon Lave means ‘come and take it.’”

Mitchell

Mitchell

Mitchell, now serving in the US Army, got this colorful cobra after seeing this website.

“I think ‘Dont Tread on Me’ represents what this country was founded on and how all countries should be: if you respect us we will respect you, but if you don’t, it is cause for action.”

Here’s a new one! Check out the foot of Alexandra O. from Baton Rouge …

Alexandra

The foot of Alexandra.

Alexandra writes, “My sister-in-law is a tattoo artist and has been begging to do some ink on me. I’ve always turned her down because I couldn’t think of anything I would want on me for life. I am a staunch libertarian and a firm believer in everyone’s right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. I saw a ‘don’t tread on me’ t-shirt and it just hit me. Don’t Tread on Me is something that will always have serious importance in my life, whether it applies to my individual life or my political belief system.”

That rocks.

Rich B. from North Jersey just had this incredible beauty, his first tattoo, done at Immortal Ink by Chris A.

“I am a passionate libertarian who believes in a limited and restrained government. Obviously it’s been a very long time since we have had a government like that.”

“I believe this government is at the size where many of our liberties now lay at risk, and I’ll be dammed if the gov thinks liberty loving people like myself are just going to roll over.”

Rich
Rich

Rich

Isn’t that snake intense?

Richard's tattoo

Richard

Richard Garon is the state coordinator for the “Sons of Liberty” in New Hampshire.

“I can think of no greater symbol to show my open disdain for the direction these tyrants in Washington DC are taking us.”

“This beauty was done by Rocking Rick at his we’ll known ‘Tattoo Shack’ in Hooksett, NH. A great friend of liberty’s who encourages others in our ‘Live Free or Die’ state to show their support for the renewed symbol of the Resistance and to forever to show where their allegiance lies as I did.”

Andy from Florida is the proud owner of an interesting variation of a DTOM tattoo.

Andy's Don't Tread on Me tattoo

Andy

“You can say I am a patriot and feel that this image helps remind other Americans about the founding fathers’ intentions.”

Andy likes that people ask about it, and that gives him “a chance to tell the gadsden flag history to them.”

Scott, a special education teacher in Oklahoma City, has been wanting his “Don’t Tread on Me” tattoo for a while but was waiting for his favorite tattoo artist (Josh Reynolds) to become available. Scott says he put it on his calf “where I wear it proudly so everyone knows where I stand.”

“I believe the founding fathers had the right idea and gave us a plan on how to live free with liberty in this great nation. God bless the constitution and the United States of America.”

Brandon from La Vergne, Tennessee, had his tattoo done by a friend, Josh at Absolute Ink in Murfreesboro (who promises to add color sometime soon). To Brandon, “it stands for my willingness to fight for my freedom should the need so arise.”

Scott's Don't Tread on Me tattooBrandon's tattoo

Scott's calf on the left. Brandon's arm on the right.

Jason from Ohio is “super stoked” with his new tattoo. “I think it’s important for people to speak up, especially now with our current government spending away our future on handouts and bailouts and entitlements. I believe our country was built on the backs of people who worked hard for what they had and if they didn’t have something they didn’t place blame on our government and expect them to provide it. It seems Obama does not realize the simple fact that without failures, success is meaningless.”

Jason's Liberty or Death tattoo

Jason

John DeCillo got his tattoo from Bob Gray at Body by Design in Crestwood, Illinois. John is a Vietnam vet who wanted to, “physically show my support for the patriots banding together to stop this runaway train heading for total socialism.”

John's Don't Tread on Me tattoo

John

Daniel from Galesburg, Illinois, is a musician who is “anxious to wear my politics on my sleeve.” (I love that.) He says, “This is my tribute to the Founders, whose work I will study till my last breath, and to all the brave men and women who served, and died, to make this country great.” The tattoo was done by Hawk’s Tattoo in Galesburg.

Daniel

Daniel

Thomas Reid from Sanford, Florida, and his wife “were inspired by recent events to get matching ‘Gadsden Tats’.”

Thomas's wife

Thomas's wife

Nikki from Michigan writes, “I took some inspiration from your site and from current and past events; to remember the fabric of liberty upon which we are woven. This tattoo represents my dedication to the principles of freedom and liberty that our country was founded upon. I wear it proudly to signify those principles under which I will live as long as I breathe.”

Nikki

Nikki

Nikki says she loves this website. And we love Nikki.

Short. Bold. To the point.

November 4th, 2009

Harrison C. is a Texas native with this awesome sticker on the back window of his truck.

White Plains flag

Harrison's sticker. Short. Bold. To the point.

I asked Harrison if I could include his full name and location in this post, but he replied that doing so would be a security risk. He’s currently serving in Iraq with a Special Forces unit.

I also asked him what the symbol means to him. He says, “It’s a reminder to me. The way the United States was in the beginning. They way they HAD to be, and the way that we should be again …

“When I see it, I read ‘Don’t mess with me’ or ‘Don’t tread on me, mother f*cker.’

“Short. Bold. To the point. It summed up the United States in four words.”

Gadsden in 1898 booklet

October 23rd, 2009

I just came across a wonderful little booklet published by the Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company of Boston in 1898. It’s entitled “The History of Our American Flag.” Of course, it includes the Gadsden flag.

Nikki

Gadsden flag in Sanborn Coffee booklet

I’m always curious to see how the Gadsden flag is represented in vintage documents like this. Since there are no surviving examples of Gadsden flags from the Revolutionary era, only descriptions of them, illustrations from the 19th century and early 20th century may be closer to the original 18th century versions than what we use today. At the very least, these vintage representations give us insight into how “Don’t Tread on Me” symbolism was treated in different periods of American history.

White Plains flag

Other flags in coffee booklet

In addition to the Gadsden flag page, the booklet also has this page that includes a very uncommon flag: the “Liberty or Death” standard of the White Plains cavalry. This flag features a blue liberty cap crossed with a sword. Beyond that, I know nothing about it. Does anyone out there know more?

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