Don't Tread on Me (red), First Naval Jack

This is the Naval rendition of the American Colonial Flag in use at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. This is one of the first flags to show 13 stripes (one for each American colony) along with the poisonous Sea Snake.

It features the sea snake above the warning, "DON'T TREAD ON ME". The rattle snake had become a traditional symbol of the American Colonies and the Colonial Navy adopted the sea going version of this. The most obvious reason for the snake to be the symbol of the American Colonies was that the rattlesnake was only found in the American Colonies and nowhere else in the world. The origin of the slogan (Don't Tread On Me) pertains to the snakes deadly strike and the idea that it is best generally when left alone.

The Secretary of the Navy directed that all U.S. Navy ships raise the historic Naval Jack beginning on Sept. 11 and continue to do so throughout the global War on Terrorism.