Outtake Chapter Four – Timber rattler and the Gadsden Flag

In 1775, Christopher Gadsden designed a flag depicting a coiled timber Rattlesnake above the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME" on a yellow background. It became a logo flag of the Continental Marines in the Revolutionary War. Since rattlesnakes are found only in the New World, the flag sent a pointed message to King George III. The timber rattlesnake was well chosen to be a symbol of defiance. Though large-bodied and packing potent venom, the snake is relatively mild-mannered as rattlesnakes go, almost docile in personality. It is hard to provoke, but once done, the snake can deliver a lethal strike, and it is found throughout the original thirteen colonies.