Don't Tread on Me, usually stylized fully in uppercase letters without an apostrophe, is a political slogan dating to the American Revolution.

Gadsden flag
First Navy Jack
South Carolina Navy ensign
Culpeper Minutemen flag

Origins

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It is an alternative English translation to the Latin phrase Noli me tangere. Historically, Revolutionary-Era Americans used it in reference to the Gadsden flag—with its derivation "don't tread on me"[1]—and other representations dating to the American Revolutionary War.[2]

Uses

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United States military mottoes

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In the United States military, the phrase is the motto of the US Army's oldest infantry regiment, the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), located at Fort Myer, Virginia. "Don't tread on me" is also used in the First Navy Jack of United States Navy. It is also the motto of the US Army's 4th Infantry Regiment, located in Hohenfels, Germany. The Royal Air Force adopted this motto for the No. 103 (Bomber) Squadron.

Flags

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Music

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Sports

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Other uses

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References

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  1. ^ Shipley 2001, p. 400
  2. ^ Cannon 1991, p. 38

Works cited

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  • Cannon, Devereaux D. Jr. (1991), The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History, St. Lukes Press, ISBN 978-0918518637
  • Shipley, Joseph Twadell (2001), The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, The Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 978-0801830044

See also

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