Where did the quote Don't tread on me originate from?

Answer 1

The Gadsden flag, as it is called, represents several important principles that this nation was founded upon. The most important of which is unity; at least in my opinion. The dissected snake represented the original 13 colonies. The slogan 'join or die', manifested the importance to unite the snake, i.e. the colonies, in order to achieve independence.

A united snake/united colonies increased the chances for gaining freedom whereas a divided effort would have mitigated them. Treading on a 'whole' rattlesnake is much more dangerous than treading upon rattlesnake pieces! The rattlesnake symbol continued to convey a message after the Rev. War. The message was: Don't Mess Around With the U.S.!

Rattlers do not arbitrarily attack. Their reputation precedes them and commands respect as well as fear. However, when provoked, threatened, and/or agitated, their response is quick, precise, and overwhelming. The obvious conclusion is that they are reactive to threatening situations as opposed to proactively instigating them.

The description above closely resembles the historical conduct of the U.S. from it's inception. Unfortunately, any semblance has been abruptly eradicated over the past six years thanks to our current policies; both domestic and foreign. Furthermore, the fundamental meaning/message slogan of the Gadsden flag has been seriously damaged and compromised.

The attacks on 9/11/01 created a perfect environment for this historical slogan to flourish; it's message, an environment that allowed it to be exhibited in it's purest form. Yet, the initial national unity that was immediately apparent, quickly vanished. Moreover, the respect that this slogan conveyed to the international community has been squandered. Forfeited!

Our country means freedom, in my view. That includes freedom from being tread on! Sadly, being 'tread on' is an internal/domestic crisis that we face first and foremost. Until we address the domestic 'treading', we will never be able to effectively deal/cope with external threats.

Again, unity is the key. United we stand...divided...etc! Perhaps the Gadsden flag demands closer examination from all of our fellow citizens. We can only hope!