{"id":290,"date":"2013-07-26T11:32:52","date_gmt":"2013-07-26T15:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=290"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:55:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:55:56","slug":"designing-18th-century-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/designing-18th-century-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing 18th-century flags"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
A U.S. commodore is backed by ships and a ‘Don’t tread upon me’ flag. (1776 drawing)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When people come together to form something new \u2013 a neighborhood club, a scouting troop, a sports team \u2013 they often design a flag or banner<\/a> as a visible sign of their unity.<\/p>\n

So it was for the 18th<\/sup>-century Americans who rebelled against Great Britain. As they created an army and navy, they needed new flags to carry into battle<\/a> or fly from yardarms.<\/p>\n

In May 1775, The Virginia Gazette, a leading colonial newspaper, reported that the Newport Light Infantry from Rhode Island had recently accepted \u201ca suit of colours\u201d from a merchant. In an address to the regiment, he explained that \u201cI have endeavoured to throw such figures\u2026into them as may lead you to an attention to the great objects which ought to possess the mind of every American soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LibertyThe \u201cfigures\u201d included a woman representing America; a liberty cap to stress \u201cthe importance of liberty, civil and religious, to man;\u201d and broken chains to symbolize how freedom would triumph \u201cover violence and oppression.\u201d He also included an anchor to represent hope, along with an accompanying slogan: \u201cIn God we hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

A year later, the Gazette told its readers about a naval flag designed to be \u201cthe colours of the American fleet<\/a>.\u201d Prominent on this banner was \u201ca snake with thirteen rattles\u2026described in the attitude of going to strike, with this motto, \u2018Don\u2019t tread on me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gazette pointed out that \u201cthe ancients considered the snake\u2026as an emblem of wisdom\u2026.The rattlesnake is properly a representative of America, as this animal is found in no other part of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
A 1787 cartoon portrays America as a rattlesnake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The reptile\u2019s positive aspects, the newspaper continued, included its eye, which \u201cexcels in brightness that of any other animal; she has no eyelid, and is therefore an emblem of vigilance; she never begins an attack, nor ever surrenders; she is therefore an emblem of\u2026true courage.\u201d<\/p>\n

The article added that the rattler \u201cwhen she is undisturbed\u2026does not appear to be furnished with weapons of any kind; they are latent in the roof of her mouth, and even when extended for her defense, appear to those who are unacquainted with them, to be weak and contemptible; yet\u2026their wounds, however small, are decisive and fatal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When people come together to form something new \u2013 a neighborhood club, a scouting troop, a sports team \u2013 they often design a flag or banner as a visible sign of their unity. So it was for the 18th-century Americans who rebelled against Great Britain. As they created an army and navy, they needed new… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[93,94,97,95,96],"class_list":["post-290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-18th-century","tag-americans","tag-dont-tread-on-me","tag-great-britain","tag-navy-jack"],"yoast_head":"\nDesigning 18th-century flags - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/designing-18th-century-flags\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Designing 18th-century flags - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When people come together to form something new \u2013 a neighborhood club, a scouting troop, a sports team \u2013 they often design a flag or banner as a visible sign of their unity. 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