In the fall of 1775 the first ships of the Continental Navy assembled on the Delaware River.  Commodore Esek Hopkins issued instructions that the vessels in the fleet would fly a striped Jack and Ensign.  Since there is no example or representation of this flag, this has been taken to be what you see here: a flag consisting of thirteen red and white stripes, with a superimposed image of a rattlesnake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me."  The design has been inferred from both Hopkins' original instructions and a color plate of the "Don't Tread Upon Me" ensign in Admiral George Henry Prebel's "History of the Flag of the United States" (1880).

The three key components of the First Navy Jack are distinct origins.  The thirteen horizontal red and white stripes was known as the American Merchant Stripes (today this is popularly known as the Sons of Liberty flag, but that was originally nine vertical red and white stripes).  The stripes were used by American merchant ships during the Revolution and obviously is a precursor to the stripes on the Betsy Ross Flag.  The rattlesnake has become the key symbol of resistance to the British in the colonies and also was associated with American because of Ben Franklin's famous 1754 "Join or Die" political cartoon.  Specifically this was the Timber Rattlesnake, with the rattle having thirteen segments (matching the number of colonies).  The accepted idea was that the rattlesnake did not strike until it was provoked, which leads to the final element, the motto.  "Don't tread on me" comes from a standard that Colonel Christopher Gadsden presented to the Continental Congress to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy.  Known as the Gadsden flag, it was a yellow field with a rattle-snake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike, and the words "Don't Tread on Me!" appearing underneath.

In 1980, Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo ordered that the ship in the U.S. Navy with the longest active status should display the First Navy Jack until the vessel was decommissioned or transferred to inactive duty.  On September 30, 1998, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), commissioned in 1961, became the oldest active-status ship in the United States Navy and began flying the First Navy Jack.  However, on May 31, 2002, then Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England directed all U.S. Navy ships to fly this flag in honor of those killed on September 11th and for the duration of the War on Terrorism.  Consequently, the First Navy Jack has taken on a new symbolism in modern times.  This 3 by 5 foot single reverse flag is made of 100% heavyweight nylon fabric and I am pretty sure you do not need to fly it from a ship.
In the fall of 1775 the first ships of the Continental Navy assembled on the Delaware River. Commodore Esek Hopkins issued instructions that the vessels in the fleet would fly a striped Jack and Ensign. Since there is no example or representation of this flag, this has been taken to be what you see here: a flag consisting of thirteen red and white stripes, with a superimposed image of a rattlesnake and the motto "Don't Tread on Me. "  The design has been inferred from both Hopkins' original instructions and a color plate of the "Don't Tread Upon Me" ensign in Admiral George Henry Prebel's "History of the Flag of the United States" (1880). The three key components of the First Navy Jack are distinct origins. The thirteen horizontal red and white stripes was known as the American Merchant Stripes (today this is popularly known as the Sons of Liberty flag, but that was originally nine vertical red and white stripes). The stripes were used by American merchant ships during the Revolution and obviously is a precursor to the stripes on the Betsy Ross Flag. The rattlesnake has become the key symbol of resistance to the British in the colonies and also was associated with American because of Ben Franklin's famous 1754 "Join or Die" political cartoon. Specifically this was the Timber Rattlesnake, with the rattle having thirteen segments (matching the number of colonies). The accepted idea was that the rattlesnake did not strike until it was provoked, which leads to the final element, the motto. "Don't tread on me" comes from a standard that Colonel Christopher Gadsden presented to the Continental Congress to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy. Known as the Gadsden flag, it was a yellow field with a rattle-snake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike, and the words "Don't Tread on Me! " appearing underneath. In 1980, Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo ordered that the ship in the U. S. Navy with the longest active status should display the First Navy Jack until the vessel was decommissioned or transferred to inactive duty. On September 30, 1998, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), commissioned in 1961, became the oldest active-status ship in the United States Navy and began flying the First Navy Jack. However, on May 31, 2002, then Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England directed all U. S. Navy ships to fly this flag in honor of those killed on September 11th and for the duration of the War on Terrorism. Consequently, the First Navy Jack has taken on a new symbolism in modern times. This 3 by 5 foot single reverse flag is made of 100% heavyweight nylon fabric and I am pretty sure you do not need to fly it from a ship.