You’ve seen it on bumper stickers. It’s on hoodies, coffee mugs, and probably a few questionable tattoos. A timber rattlesnake, sliced into eight distinct pieces, with the letters N.E., N.Y., N.J., P., M., V., N.C., and S.C. hovering near the segments. Most people call it the Join or Die snake, though some search for the unite or die snake when they’re trying to remember the exact wording.
It’s arguably the first viral meme in American history.
But here’s the thing: Ben Franklin didn't draw it to spark a revolution against the British. Not at first, anyway. Most people get the timeline totally wrong. When Franklin published this woodcut in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754, he wasn't thinking about King George III. He was thinking about the French. Specifically, he was worried about the French and Indian War and the fact that the American colonies were acting like a bunch of bickering siblings while a literal army was at the door.
The Panic of 1754: Why the Snake Exists
In the mid-18th century, the "colonies" weren't a country. They were a collection of independent mini-states that kind of hated each other. They had different currencies, different laws, and zero interest in helping their neighbors. Franklin saw this as a death sentence.
The unite or die snake was a visual editorial meant to scream at the colonial governments to support the Albany Congress. Franklin’s logic was brutal and simple. If we stay disjointed, we are a dead animal. If we pull it together, we have a fighting chance.
The superstition behind the image
There was an old folk myth back then—and honestly, people believed some weird stuff in the 1700s—that a snake that had been cut into pieces could actually come back to life if the sections were joined together before sunset. Franklin wasn't just being artsy. He was playing on a specific, well-known urban legend of his time to make a political point. It was "fake news" used for a very real purpose.
The snake wasn't just a random choice, either. The timber rattlesnake is indigenous to North America. It’s a creature that doesn't attack unless provoked, but once it starts, it’s lethal. It was the perfect avatar for a group of people who just wanted to be left alone but were increasingly being backed into a corner.
Why the Segments Don't Add Up
If you look closely at the Join or Die snake, you’ll notice something weird. There are only eight segments. But there were thirteen colonies, right?
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Franklin lumped them together.
- N.E. stands for New England. That one segment represented New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
- Pennsylvania and Delaware were often treated as one entity in this context.
- Georgia? Completely left out. It was too far south and too "new" to be considered part of the immediate strategic plan Franklin was pitching.
It’s funny how we view this as a symbol of "The Thirteen Colonies" when, in reality, it was a rushed sketch that ignored several of them. It was a functional piece of propaganda, not a geography lesson.
From the French to the British: The Snake Evolves
Fast forward twenty years. The French and Indian War is over, but now the colonies are fuming at the British over taxes and lack of representation. The unite or die snake got a second life.
Paul Revere, who was basically the marketing director of the American Revolution, took Franklin’s snake and slapped it onto the masthead of The Massachusetts Spy newspaper in 1774. This time, the "Die" part of the slogan was directed at the British Empire. The snake had changed its target.
The Snake vs. The Dragon
In Revere's version, the snake is actually facing off against a British Dragon. It’s wild to see how quickly a symbol can be repurposed. By the time the Revolutionary War actually kicked off, the rattlesnake had become so synonymous with the American spirit that it evolved into the Gadsden Flag ("Don't Tread on Me").
But let’s be clear: the original unite or die snake is the ancestor of all of them. It’s the grandfather of American political cartoons. Without that weird little woodcut, we might never have adopted the rattlesnake as a national symbol.
The Modern Tug-of-War Over the Snake
Today, the unite or die snake is everywhere. It’s a bit of a chameleon. Depending on who you ask, it means completely different things.
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- The History Buffs: For some, it’s just a cool relic of the Enlightenment. It represents Franklin's genius and the sheer difficulty of getting humans to cooperate.
- Political Movements: In the last twenty years, we've seen the snake used by the Tea Party, Libertarians, and even some far-left groups. Everyone wants to claim the "unity" part, but they usually mean "unite with my side."
- Sports and Branding: The Philadelphia Union (MLS) literally has the snake in their crest. It’s a nod to the city’s history with Franklin. It’s shifted from a warning of literal death to a rallying cry for a soccer match.
Is it "cultural appropriation" of our own history? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just proof that Franklin’s design was so good it survived three centuries of shifting politics.
What most people get wrong about the design
People often think the gaps between the segments represent the ocean. Nope. The gaps represent the lack of political and military cooperation. It’s a diagram of a broken system. When you buy a t-shirt with the unite or die snake, you aren't wearing a symbol of American strength; you're wearing a symbol of American fragility that was fixed just in time.
The Psychology of the "Unite or Die" Message
Why does this image still work? Why do we still search for the unite or die snake when we feel like the country is falling apart?
Psychologically, it’s a "Common Fate" message. In sociology, the Common Fate principle suggests that people will put aside their massive differences if they believe they are all in the same sinking boat. Franklin knew that New Jersey farmers didn't care about Boston merchants. But he knew both of them cared about not being killed by an invading army.
It’s a dark way to inspire unity. It’s not "Unite because we love each other." It’s "Unite because the alternative is a shallow grave." That’s a powerful motivator. It’s visceral.
Spotting a Real Antique vs. A Fake
If you ever find yourself at an estate sale or an antique shop looking at an old print of the snake, be careful. Because it was a woodcut published in a newspaper, original 1754 copies are incredibly rare. Most of what you see in museums are later 18th-century reprints or 19th-century historical reproductions.
The original lines were thick and a bit crude. Woodcuts don't allow for fine detail. If the snake looks too "perfect" or the letters are in a modern sans-serif font, it’s a modern reimagining. Collectors look for the specific texture of the "laid paper" used in the 1700s, which has a distinct ribbed feel when held up to the light.
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How to Use the Spirit of the Snake Today
So, you’re interested in the unite or die snake. Maybe you want to use it in a project, or you're just a history nerd. Here is the actual, practical takeaway from Franklin’s little doodle:
Focus on the "Joints"
Franklin didn't try to change the identity of the colonies. He didn't ask Virginia to stop being Virginia. He just asked them to connect. In any modern organization or community, the "segments" are always going to exist. The goal isn't to become one giant blob; it's to make sure the connections between the segments are strong enough to carry the weight.
Visuals Trump Words
Franklin wrote a long essay accompanying the snake. Nobody remembers the essay. Everyone remembers the snake. If you're trying to communicate a complex idea, find your "snake." Find the one image that makes the stakes crystal clear.
Understand the Context
Before you fly the flag or wear the shirt, know which version you’re sporting. Are you honoring the 1754 call for colonial defense? The 1774 call for revolution? Or the modern libertarian interpretation? Context matters, especially with a symbol this loaded.
The unite or die snake remains a masterclass in communication. It reminds us that America was never a "given." It was a project held together by the thin thread of mutual survival. That’s a bit heavy for a bumper sticker, but it’s the truth.
To really dive into the visuals, look up the digital archives at the Library of Congress. They have high-resolution scans of the original Pennsylvania Gazette where you can see the ink bleed and the rough edges of the woodblock. Seeing it in its original environment—surrounded by ads for runaway horses and shipments of West India rum—makes it feel much more real than a clean digital graphic ever could.
Next time you see those eight segments, remember they weren't meant to be pretty. They were meant to be a warning. And 270 years later, the warning still feels pretty relevant.
Steps for further exploration:
- Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the American Philosophical Society to see original Franklin-era prints.
- Research the Albany Plan of Union to understand the specific political deal Franklin was trying to broker when he drew the snake.
- Compare the snake woodcut to the Gadsden Flag and the First Navy Jack to see how the "rattlesnake" motif evolved through the 1770s.