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Gadsden Flag (U.S.)

Historical

image by Rick Wyatt, 5 April 1998

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The Gadsden flag is associated with Christopher Gadsden, who was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He presented a flag to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina on Friday, February 9, 1776. The journal of the South Carolina congress describes the flag as "an elegant standard, such as is said to be used by the commander-in-chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, 'DONT TREAD ON ME!' "
Devereaux Cannon and Christopher Koceja, 25 September 2001

In February of 1776 - Commodore Esek Hopkins' ships put to sea for first time carrying a version of the Gadsden flag (yellow background, coiled snake, 'Don't Tread on Me').
David S. Cohen, 21 December 1997

This flag was used, as described by Gadsden, as the Commodore's flag. No apostrophe.
Dave Martucci, 21 December 1998