DTOM USA Flag The noticeable flag is everywhere today, from personal vehicles to storefronts to signs. It features a yellow background and a coiled rattlesnake that appears prepared to strike. Though the use of the rattlesnake could hold many meanings, its origins tell one specific story. A bold announcement of both American pride and underlying symbolism, the first Gadsden flag came out of observations that Benjamin Franklin had made about rattlesnakes. He praised their constant vigilance and the animal’s innate instinct not to attack unless provoked. Franklin made references to rattlesnakes in his political commentary, but at the same time, the serpent became a symbol of the then-young American colonies. Especially striking was Franklin’s suggestion that in response to Great Britain sending convicted criminals to the US, so Americans should send back rattlesnakes.
