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First Navy Jack Flag

$62.50
SKU:
50059
Current Stock:
Origin:
United States

Frequently Bought Together:

The First Navy Jack has 13 red & white stripes with a gold & red rattlesnake in the center. Below is the text “DONT TREAD ON ME” in black.
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Description

Own a piece of American history with our American-made First Navy Jack flag! This high-quality US historical flag is deeply rooted in Revolutionary history, representing a symbol of independence and resistance to tyranny. Fly the First Navy Jack flag as proudly as the early revolutionaries and navy ships did by displaying these thirteen stripes up high.

Our 1st US Navy Jack flag is durable and weather-resistant. Additionally, the lightweight nylon and digitally printed design are fade- and fray-resistant. The First Navy Jack flag will easily attach to any of our outdoor flagpoles with its sturdy canvas header with brass grommets.

1st US Navy Jack Product Details

  • Proudly made in America
  • 3' x 5' size
  • Official 1975 design
  • 100% premium nylon
  • Strong canvas heading
  • Rust-resistant brass grommets

First Navy Jack Flag Meaning & History

When was the First Navy Jack flag created? Historians are still debating the origin of the First Navy Jack flag and whether it was the ‘first’ US Naval Jack. What we do know is that Commodore Esek Hopkins of the Continental Navy instructed his navy vessels entering the Delaware River at the beginning of the American War of Independence to hoist a flag with 13 alternating red and white stripes. Additional correspondence between Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Sicilian allies describes a naval jack featuring 13 red and white stripes with a gold rattlesnake.

That rattlesnake had long been a symbol of American resistance to British rule. It originated with Benjamin Franklin’s famous 1754 "Join, or Die” political cartoon and was eventually immortalized as the Gadsden flag. The “Don’t Tread on Me” phrase originated around the same time but wasn’t applied to the rattlesnake naval jack flag until 1880.

The flag was celebrated at the United States Bicentennial with an updated design in 1976. It had another run through the 2000s and was recently removed as the standard US Navy Jack flag in 2019. The First Navy Jack flag remains in service on one ship: the USS Constitution, the world’s oldest actively commissioned vessel still afloat.

Other Details

The First Navy Jack flag consists of a rattlesnake, superimposed across 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes with the motto "DONT TREAD ON ME". The jack was first employed by Commodore Esek Hopkins in the fall of 1775 as he readied the continental navy in the Delaware River. His signal for the whole fleet to engage the enemy was the striped jack and ensign flown at their proper places. On the 31st of May, 2002, the Secretary of the Navy has directed all US naval ships to fly the First Navy Jack for the duration of the war on terrorism, beginning September 11, 2002 (Patriot Day.)