This is pretty badass:
Join, or Die is a famous political cartoon created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754. The original publication by the Gazette is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America. It is a woodcut showing a snake severed into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initial of a British American colony or region.
Video of when he showed it to the girls on “The View” ( at 1:32 ):
Video of when he showed and explained it to Kristen Bell on his show (at 2:45):
Learn about Join or Die on wiki – HERE
More about Craig Ferguson on wiki – HERE
I have this same tattoo. In 1774 Paul Revere added it to the masthead of The Massachusetts Spy and showed the snake fighting a British dragon. Revere changed the snake a little, and his is the version I have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Massachusetts_Spy_3a10607u.png like that one? That’s really neat.
He’s already more American than those Progressive idiot woman could ever be.
Live Free or Die….Hooah!
No kidding!
are you retarded? The tattoo represents the necessity of the federal government. Most americans know nothing, nothing about being an american. its sad.
It does NOT represent the necessity of the federal government…it is a cry for the several independent colonies to join forces and fight the British empire, or to watch the fledgling nation of loosely joined states in the form of a republic, die. The federal government you see now was not a thought in the minds of the founders back then (read their writings), it became the albatross it is now through the actions of Lincoln (trying to hold a country together, but chipping away at a State’s rights), and even more overtly through FDR and his moves to have the government become a nanny state.
Shamrock, NO IT DOES NOT.
It was first produced in 1754 by Franklin to stress the importance of a federally governed colony in response to the threat posed by the Native Americans and French in North America.
It has NOTHING to do with independence or Republicanism.
You are both right. While it originally was intended to unite the colonies against the French and Indians, it was later adopted and used extensively as a rallying banner for American Independence.
Did I see this tattoo on someone in a recent movie or TV show?
That’s likely. It’s a very popular tattoo. Awesome historic meaning, great phrase, and a badass snake cut into pieces… what’s not to like?
Love Craig Ferguson!
What a nice guy!
Yeah, I love Craig Ferguson. This is a guy who became American by choice and then to show how much he loves and appreciates his new home he tats himself with something overtly patriotic. He deserves citizenship more than some others I can think of. And yes the show you were thinking of where you saw that snake is most likely on Glenn Beck on the 9-12 project – Unite or Die. http://je9jeanine.blogspot.com/2009/03/glen-becks-9-12-program.html
Craig Ferguson definitely seems like a good guy. I agree, he definitely deserves his citizenship.
Interesting Glenn Beck link!
only Glenn Beck would be stupid enough to put federal propaganda on his show and consider it oligarchial.
HE’S THE BEST OF TALK SHOW HOSTS! RIGHT ON CRAIG!! WELCOME TO AMERICA
)
Dear Rickie … it had nothing to do with French or Native Americans either, it was a satirical cartoon created by Ben Franklin to to encourage the unification of the 13 colonies against the British Crown.
I just love it when people blame Native Americans for stuff… um the name says it all.. NATIVE Americans. Way I see it you all are treading on our land. Peace out.. Oh and Craig Ferguson rocks and has the right idea for being an American, being one by choice not by force.
“Join, or Die” is a well-known political cartoon, created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754. The original publication by the Gazette is the earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by a British colonist in America. It is a woodcut showing a snake cut into eighths, with each segment labeled with the initials of one of the thirteen American colonies or region. New England was represented as one segment, rather than the four colonies it was at that time. In addition, Delaware (then a part of Pennsylvania) and Georgia were omitted completely. Thus, it has 8 segments of snake rather than the traditional 13 colonies. The two northernmost British American colonies at the time, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, were not represented, nor were any British Caribbean possessions. The cartoon appeared along with Franklin’s editorial about the “disunited state” of the colonies, and helped make his point about the importance of colonial unity. During that era, there was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset. This cartoon was used in the French and Indian War to symbolize that the colonies needed to join together with England to defeat the French and Indians. It became a symbol of colonial freedom during the
American Revolution.
The hell is with the camera angle at 2:00? it’s like, the side of Craig’s shoulder or something….way to be professional cameraman.
Really? Do you know nothing about production?
Jamie this is probably the dumbest thing I’ve heard yet.