Walk into any gun show, rural hardware store, or protest in America and you’ll see it. A white field, a lone star, a crude black cannon, and four words that essentially serve as a middle finger to authority: Come and Take It. It’s everywhere. You see it on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and tattoos. But honestly, most people rocking the gear couldn't tell you the name of the town where it all started, or that the original flag wasn't actually a professional printing job—it was literally a scrap of a wedding dress.
The come and take it flag has become a sort of Rorschach test for American politics. To some, it’s a pure symbol of the Second Amendment and "don't tread on me" defiance. To others, it’s become a controversial marker of far-right movements. But if you strip away the modern shouting matches, the real story is about a tiny bronze cannon that nobody even wanted at first. It’s a messy, loud, and very Texan story that started long before anyone cared about viral branding.
The Battle of Gonzales: A Fight Over a Loaner
The year was 1835. Texas wasn't a state yet; it was a restive province of Mexico called Coahuila y Tejas. Tensions were high. The Mexican government, led by Antonio López de Santa Anna, was starting to get nervous about all the American settlers moving in and bringing their own ideas about governance with them.
Specifically, they were worried about a small cannon.
Four years earlier, the Mexican military had "loaned" a small, six-pound Spanish-made bronze cannon to the citizens of Gonzales. Why? For protection against Comanche raids. It wasn't a world-ending weapon. It was basically a glorified noisemaker used to scare off attackers. But as the political climate soured, Mexican Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea decided he wanted his cannon back. He sent a handful of soldiers to retrieve it.
The people of Gonzales basically said, "No."
They didn't just say no; they stalled. They hid the cannon in an orchard. They waited for reinforcements to arrive from neighboring settlements. While they waited, two women—Cynthia Burns and Caroline Zumwalt—reportedly tore up a white silk wedding dress to create a makeshift banner. They painted a cannon and a star on it in black oil.
When the Mexican dragoons finally showed up to take the gun, the Texans pointed at the banner. The message was clear. If you want the gun, you have to come through us. On October 2, 1835, the "Battle" of Gonzales happened. It wasn't a massive war. It was a skirmish in a foggy river bottom. But it was the spark. The Texans fired the cannon—loaded with scrap metal—and the Mexican troops retreated. The Texas Revolution had officially begun.
Is it Greek or Texan?
You’ve probably heard the phrase Molon Labe. It’s the Greek version of "come and take them." King Leonidas of Sparta supposedly barked this at the Persian King Xerxes at the Battle of Thermopylae when ordered to surrender his weapons.
It’s the same energy.
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The come and take it flag is essentially the New World translation of that ancient Spartan defiance. While the Texans in 1835 might not have all been scholars of Herodotus, the sentiment was identical. It’s the ultimate expression of property rights meeting physical bravery. You have something I want, but I’m not giving it to you because you didn't earn it.
The flag stayed largely a piece of Texas regional pride for over a century. For a long time, it was just something you saw at the Alamo or in Texas history textbooks. It didn't have the heavy political baggage it carries today. It was just... Texan. Like Dr. Pepper or Shiner Bock.
The Modern Shift into Gun Culture
Fast forward to the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The come and take it flag underwent a massive branding shift. As the debate over gun control in the United States intensified, Second Amendment advocates went looking for symbols that felt more aggressive than the traditional American flag but more specific than the Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me" flag.
The Gonzales banner fit perfectly.
It specifically references a firearm (or artillery piece). It specifically references government confiscation. It’s the perfect logo for a movement built on the idea that the right to bear arms is the final check against tyranny. You started seeing the cannon replaced with images of AR-15s or pistols. The "Come and Take It" slogan was slapped onto everything from Glock backplates to coffee mugs.
But this is where things get complicated.
Because the flag is so closely tied to "defiance," it has been adopted by groups that go beyond just hobbyist gun ownership. It appeared at the January 6th Capitol riots. It shows up at militia rallies. Because of this, the flag has started to lose its "historical Texas" vibe and gain a "partisan warrior" vibe. If you fly it today, people aren't usually thinking about 19th-century Mexican politics. They’re thinking about your stance on modern federal legislation.
What People Get Wrong About the History
People love to simplify history into "good guys vs. bad guys," but the come and take it flag came out of a very grey situation.
- The Cannon was Tiny. We're talking about a tiny bronze gun that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from fifty yards away. The fight wasn't about military superiority; it was about the principle of the thing.
- The Flag was Lost. The original "wedding dress" flag actually disappeared. After the battle, it was likely taken to San Antonio and then... nothing. Most historians believe it was destroyed or lost during the chaos of the revolution. The version we see today is a recreation based on descriptions.
- It Wasn't Just About Guns. The settlers in Gonzales were upset about a lot of things: lack of trial by jury, the distance to the nearest courts, and changes to the Mexican constitution. The cannon was just the final straw.
It’s also worth noting that the "Texas" of 1835 was a complicated place. Slavery was a massive, looming issue in the background of the Texas Revolution. While the Gonzales fight was specifically about a piece of artillery, the broader conflict involved the Mexican government's move toward abolishing slavery, which many of the white settlers opposed. You can’t really talk about the "freedom" symbolized by the flag without acknowledging that for many people in Texas at the time, that freedom was very one-sided.
The Design Evolution: Cannon vs. Rifle
If you’re looking to buy a come and take it flag today, you’ll notice two distinct "camps."
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The Purists: These folks stick to the original design. A slightly lumpy, black cannon silhouette that looks a bit like a cigar, a single black star, and the classic font. This is generally seen as a nod to history and Texas heritage.
The Modernists: These versions replace the cannon with a modern rifle, usually an M4 or AR-15. This version is almost entirely about current gun rights. It’s a statement of intent regarding modern legislation.
Then there are the parodies. You’ll see versions with a uterus ("Come and Take It"), a taco, or even a certain brand of brisket. It’s become a meme. In a way, that’s the highest form of cultural penetration. When a symbol is so recognizable that you can swap out the central image and everyone still gets the joke, you’ve reached icon status.
Why It Persists in the 2020s
Symbols don't survive this long unless they tap into something primal.
We live in an era where people feel like they have very little control over their lives. The government feels big, the internet feels loud, and everything feels "managed." The come and take it flag is a shortcut to saying "I am an individual with a boundary you cannot cross."
It’s about the line in the sand.
Whether you agree with the politics or not, there is something deeply human about the story of a small group of people in a tiny town telling a massive empire to go away. It’s the classic underdog trope. That’s why it resonates across the world. You’ll even see variations of the flag in international protests, used by people who have no idea where Gonzales, Texas, is.
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How to Use the Symbol Respectfully
If you’re going to display the flag, know the history. It makes for a much better conversation when you can explain the Battle of Gonzales rather than just shouting about the Second Amendment.
- Understand the context: Recognize that while it’s a symbol of liberty for many, it’s viewed as a symbol of aggression by others.
- Check the version: If you want the historical version, look for the bronze cannon silhouette. If you want the political version, go for the rifle.
- Acknowledge the Texas roots: Don't forget this is a piece of Texas history. It belongs to the story of the Texas Revolution as much as it belongs to any modern political movement.
Ultimately, the flag isn't going anywhere. It’s baked into the American identity of rugged individualism. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s unapologetic. Just like the people who first painted it on a scrap of silk nearly two hundred years ago.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs and Collectors
If you want to truly connect with the history of the come and take it flag, skip the cheap polyester versions made overseas and do the following:
- Visit Gonzales, Texas: The "Gonzales Memorial Museum" actually houses what is believed to be the original "Come and Take It" cannon. Seeing the actual piece of bronze that started a revolution is a completely different experience than seeing a sticker on a truck.
- Study the Primary Sources: Look up the letters of Colonel Ugartechea and the responses from the Gonzales Committee of Safety. The actual correspondence reveals a much more tense, diplomatic chess match than the "action movie" version of history suggests.
- Support Local Vexillologists: If you’re buying a flag for display, look for American-made cotton or nylon flags that use the correct historical proportions. The "cigar-shaped" cannon is the historically accurate silhouette, not the perfectly symmetrical modern ones.
- Diversify Your Historical Flags: If you like the message of Gonzales, look into the Troutman Flag or the First Navy Jack. Understanding the "evolution of defiance" in American symbols provides a much broader perspective on how we got to where we are today.