Liberty or Death Don’t Tread On Me Flag

The Culpeper Minutemen militia was organized in 1775 and was comprised of four companies of 50 men each from the Culpeper, Virginia, area. They trained in military tactics and could respond to emergencies with a few minutes’ notice, hence the name “Culpeper Minutemen.” The local committee responsible for raising the militia decided the men would meet under a large oak tree on the Catalpa estate, near modern-day Yowell Meadow Park in Culpeper, Virginia. The Minutemen fought together as a unit during the 1st year of the Revolutionary War and were recognized by their distinctive flag: a white banner depicting a coiled rattlesnake and the mottos “Liberty or Death” and “Don’t Tread on Me.” The prevalence of rattlesnake imagery during the American Revolution likely stems from the fact that the rattlesnake could not be found anywhere else in the world and displayed a unique courage that mirrored the early American spirit. The rattlesnake never starts a fight and never surrenders once engaged. She never attacks without warning, but strikes with deadly effect.

In October of 1775, the militia was sent to Hampton to meet British ships landing there. The sharpshooters shot the British sailors trying to man the cannon, eventually compelling the entire fleet to withdraw. In December 1775, the Culpeper Minutemen also participated in the Battle of Great Bridge, a Colonial victory against the British, and eyewitness accounts suggest the British were unnerved by the Minutemen’s tenacity and fighting spirit. The local committee that created the militia disbanded it in January 1776, and many of the men went on to serve in the Continental Army, eventually helping bring about American Independence. 84 years later, under the same oak tree and a similar battle flag depicting a rattlesnake, the Culpeper Minutemen once again organized to defend the people of Virginia. They joined the 13th Virginia Infantry and fought throughout the American Civil War. Once more, in 1917, the Culpeper Minutemen organized to fight in WWI, and joined the 116th Infantry Regiment of the Virginia Army National Guard. The minutemen organized for the Spanish American War in 1898, but were never activated.

The Culpeper flag and other American Revolutionary War-era imagery have recently been revived to represent grassroots American resistance to the ever-increasing size of government and its overreach. The artwork is visible on both sides of the flag, and the lettering reads correctly from one side.

Single-ply polyester is a very lightweight material that will fly nicely in the slightest breeze. The image is viewable from both sides, and the lettering reads correctly from one side.