<P> The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike . Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words "DONT TREAD ON ME ." The flag is named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden (1724--1805), who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution . It was used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag, along with the Moultrie flag . </P> <P> The timber rattlesnake can be found in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies . Its use as a symbol of the American colonies can be traced back to the publications of Benjamin Franklin . In 1751, he made the first reference to the rattlesnake in a satirical commentary published in his Pennsylvania Gazette . It had been the policy of Great Britain to send convicted criminals to the Americas, so Franklin suggested that they thank the British by sending rattlesnakes to England . </P>

Where did the term don't tread on me originate
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