The Gadsden flag, proposing a rattlesnake and the phrase "Don't Tread on Me

https://blogfreely.net/machilyjdn/the-evolution-of-civil-war-flags-designs-and-meanings-xr83

The Gadsden flag, providing a rattlesnake and the phrase "Don't Tread on Me," was followed by some Confederate items as a image of resistance in opposition to perceived oppression.