How The Rattlesnake Almost Became An Emblem Of A Nascent America

Benjamin Franklin was a snake guy. In fact, 1 could reason that he is nan quintessential snake feline of nan full American Experiment, not because he was a herpetologist aliases popularizer (although he intelligibly had much than superficial familiarity pinch reptilian behavior), but because he recognized successful nan temperament of a fiercely independent and self-protective serpent nan cleanable awesome for nan nascent American identity. His tour-de-force rattlesnake metaphor connected nan eve of nan Revolutionary War is good known. It wasn’t, however, his first foray into literate allusions of a serpentine sort.

In nan mid-18th century, England had nan wont of exporting its criminal miscreants to North America, a argumentation nan Crown cynically celebrated, arsenic Walter Isaacson noted successful A Benjamin Franklin Reader, “as a measurement to thief nan colonies grow.” The colonists did not admit nan help. On May 9, 1751, penning to nan Pennsylvania Gazette under nan pen sanction Americanus, Franklin dipped his rhetorical pen successful an ink cookware of serpent venom for nan first clip successful a little and witty missive called “Rattlesnakes for Felons.” In a sly and indirect style of sentiment penning that is arsenic endangered these days arsenic immoderate rattlesnakes themselves, Franklin noted that venomous reptiles “we telephone rattle-snakes” populated nan little inhabited precincts of nan colonies; he likened nan vipers to “felons-convict from nan opening of nan world” and mildly suggested that they shared a kindred outlaw tone pinch nan imported criminals.

He went connected to heap faux praise connected Mother England for its magnanimous policy, successful which “all nan Newgates and dungeons successful Britain are emptied into nan colonies.” Americans should beryllium truthful grateful for British generosity, he continued, that he projected a tongue-in-cheek exchange: sending North American rattlesnakes backmost to England arsenic a token of appreciation. As Franklin noted (correctly), nan snakes were “feeble, heavy, slow and easy taken” erstwhile they emerged from their dens successful nan spring. Thousands could beryllium collected for a humble interest and sent arsenic gifts to England.

“There I would propose to person them cautiously distributed successful St. James Park, successful nan spring-gardens and different places of pleasance astir London; successful nan gardens of each nan nobility and gentry passim nan nation; but peculiarly successful nan gardens of nan Prime Ministers, nan Lords of trade, and Members of Parliament; for to them we are most peculiarly obliged.” (In nan perverse and improbable ways that satire begets latter-day tragedy, Franklin’s humble connection was adapted for nan intent of real-life vengeance successful 1978 erstwhile members of nan California cult Synanon placed a large, de-rattled rattlesnake successful nan mailbox of a lawyer suing nan group, resulting successful a near-fatal envenomation and hospitalization; Synanon’s leader reportedly said, connected audiotapes discovered during nan ensuing constabulary investigation, “Don’t messiness pinch us”—a latter-day sentiment, too, that has echoes of Revolutionary-era defiance.)

Young Ben Franklin’s sentiment of snakes successful 1751 was not wholly positive, arsenic is evident successful nan concluding paragraph of nan spicy dispatch from Americanus: “Rattle-snakes seem nan astir suitable returns for nan human serpents sent america by our mother Country.” And “human serpents” persists arsenic an all-purpose governmental insult; arsenic precocious arsenic nan 2024 predetermination season, for example, erstwhile vice president Mike Pence was likened to a snake by a wary voter.

But successful nan 2 decades pursuing nan Americanus letter, images of a snake cropped up successful galore assemblage publications, wherever it was understood to symbolize nan request for unity. And Franklin’s view, equating quality miscreants pinch squamates, apparently evolved complete consequent decades, because by nan clip of nan American Revolution, he made an astonishingly bully lawsuit that nan rattlesnake would person been a much fitting awesome of spot and independency for nan United States than nan bald eagle.

This 2nd invocation of nan snake arsenic metaphor took style successful Philadelphia precocious successful 1775. The colonists wanted to intercept British naval shipments of arms to their troops, and young men were being recruited successful nan metropolis to shape naval units to execute this task. Franklin happened to announcement that nan image of a timber rattlesnake had been painted connected nan drum of 1 of nan recently recruited marines marching done town, on pinch nan fable “Don’t tread connected me.” Soon thereafter, an anonymous contribution—signed “An American Guesser”—appeared successful nan pages of nan Pennsylvania Gazette:

“The Rattlesnake arsenic America’s Symbol.” Being nan citizen-scientist he was, Franklin displayed a knowledge of reptile behaviour successful this overmuch much celebrated essay, published connected December 27, 1775. He understood that rattlesnakes (like each snakes) temperamentally for illustration to debar confrontation; their first statement of defense is to slither off. But if perturbed aliases provoked, they will respond pinch a swift, painful, and perchance lethal response. Weaving that nugget of serpent behaviour into governmental commentary, Franklin created 1 of nan shrewdest metaphors successful nan history of American governmental rhetoric.

After noting that “the ancients considered nan serpent arsenic an emblem of wisdom, and successful a definite cognition of endless duration,” Franklin group retired to enumerate each nan distinguishing qualities of this peculiar animal. Familiar though nan transition whitethorn be, it is worthy pondering nan governmental echo it still sends hurtling into caller times—something for illustration nan hum of nan microwave inheritance successful our existent governmental universe, echoing nan Big Bang of America’s creation. Here is what Franklin had to opportunity astir nan timber rattlesnake:

I recollected that her oculus excelled successful brightness, that of immoderate different animal, and that she has nary eye-lids. She whitethorn truthful beryllium esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She ne'er originates an attack, nor, erstwhile once engaged, ever surrenders: She is truthful an emblem of magnanimity and existent courage. As if anxious to forestall each pretensions of quarrelling pinch her, nan weapons pinch which quality has furnished her, she conceals successful nan tile of her mouth, truthful that, to those who are unacquainted pinch her, she appears to beryllium a astir defenseless animal; and moreover erstwhile those weapons are shown and extended for her defense, they look anemic and contemptible; but their wounds nevertheless small, are decisive and fatal. Conscious of this, she ne'er wounds till she has generously fixed notice, moreover to her enemy, and cautioned him against nan threat of treading connected her.

Was I wrong, Sir, successful reasoning this is simply a beardown image of nan temper and behaviour of America? The poison of her teeth is nan basal intends of digesting her food, and astatine nan aforesaid clip is definite demolition to her enemies. This whitethorn beryllium understood to friendly that those things which are destructive to our enemies, whitethorn beryllium to america not only harmless, but perfectly basal to our existence…

’Tis funny and astonishing to observe really chopped and independent of each different nan rattles of this animal are, and yet really firmly they are agreed together, truthful arsenic ne'er to beryllium separated but by breaking them to pieces. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but nan rising of thirteen together, is capable to siren nan boldest man living.

Brilliant some arsenic metaphor and prophecy, Franklin’s informing astir “the threat of treading connected her” echoed nan by-then omnipresent image of nan rattlesnake (including 1 engraved by Paul Revere) that for decades had appeared connected galore assemblage broadsheets; specifying “thirteen” rattles, intelligibly referring to nan 13 colonies, makes nan governmental intent of nan effort unmistakable. Almost simultaneous pinch nan publication of Franklin’s rattlesnake essay, a delegate to nan Continental Congress named Christopher Gadsden created a emblem that visually recapitulated Franklin’s powerful text: It displayed nan shape of a coiled timber rattlesnake, fangs exposed and lingua aflicker, supra nan words DON’T TREAD ON ME, upon a bright-yellow background. A autochthonal of South Carolina and a colonel successful nan Continental army, Gadsden presented nan banner that aforesaid period to Esek Hopkins, nan first commandant successful main of nan Continental navy, and it was really utilized to awesome naval maneuvers during nan war. It has ever aft been known arsenic nan Gadsden flag.

Franklin’s rattlesnake metaphor—and Gadsden’s emblem imagery— has slithered done American history ever since. Nearly a twelve states person offered vanity licence plates featuring nan rattlesnake and DON’T TREAD ON ME legend. The right-wing Tea Party adopted nan Gadsden emblem arsenic its banner successful 2010. And that aforesaid yellowish emblem was waved by immoderate participants successful nan January 6, 2021, battle connected nan US Capitol—a reminder that symbols tin beryllium powerful, but besides perverted. The principle of nan metaphor is that nan snake ne'er seeks confrontation aliases attacks its enemy. On that infamous day, it was arsenic if Ben Franklin’s rattlesnake had turned and spot nan Republic itself successful nan ass. Meanwhile, successful Gadsden’s autochthonal South Carolina, nan state’s Department of Natural Resources now notes connected its website that timber rattlesnakes “have been eliminated from overmuch of nan piedmont done nan activities of people.”

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Excerpted from Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World by Stephen S. Hall. Copyright © 2025 by Stephen S. Hall. Published by Grand Central Publishing, a Hachette Book Group company. Reproduced by statement pinch nan Publisher. All authorities reserved.