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The History List

"Join or Die" Shirt — Made in America

"Join or Die" Shirt — Made in America

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Regular price $ 34.95
Regular price Sale price $ 34.95
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Taken from the original illustration in Franklin’s The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754.  Originally, a warning to the colonies, urging them to unite in defense against the French and their Native allies, and later used as an appeal to the states during the Revolutionary War.  The rattlesnake segments are labeled,  S.C., N.C., V., M., P., N.J., N.Y., and N.E. See additional information below.

The shirt: We’re offering your choice of styles, fabrics, and colors:
  • 100% cotton Made in the USA shirt in Grey — Knitted, dyed, and sewn in the USA. 5.4 oz. S - 4XL. See size chart.

    Note: We suggest ordering one size larger than you normally wear. (This shirt runs small.)

  • Our standard 4.3 oz. Poly-Cotton shirt that gets rave reviews. Our softest shirt. It's also our thinnest and lightest. It is very high-quality and long-wearing, but it is thin and light. Lots of people love them, which you can see in the reviews, but if you judge t-shirt quality based on weight or thickness, do not get this one. Instead, get one of the two 100% cotton shirts above. In Charcoal grey. S - 4XL. See size chart.

  • 100% American grown cotton in Slate blue — Will not be reprinted in this color. 5.5 oz. S only. Will not be reprinted in this color. See size chart. 

Also available in a long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, women's v-neck shirt, tank top for womenwoven socks that are made in the USAsticker, magnet, and an 8" x 10"  framed print.


Historical background

This political cartoon (attributed to James Turner (silversmith) for Benjamin Franklin) originally appeared during the French and Indian War, but was recycled to encourage the American colonies to join the Albany Plan for Union. From The Pennsylvania gazette, May 9, 1754. Abbreviations used: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England.

The practice of grouping the colonies east of New York (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) together as "New England" has a history that goes back to the Dominion of New England, established in 1686 . . . Delaware was not listed separately because it was comprised of three counties that were part of Pennsylvania, and did not gain independence from Philadelphia until after the Declaration of Independence was asserted. Prior to formal separation from Pennsylvania, Delaware was properly referred to as the "Lower Counties on Delaware".

The Province of Georgia was not originally included by Franklin (let alone other British colonies in North America) but was later added and can be see at the tip of the tail. Georgia, the youngest of what would come to be referred to as the "Thirteen Original Colonies", had only been chartered in 1732 as a haven for those incarcerated in England's debtors prisons, and its population was sparse.

Source: Wikipedia

In addition, author John Bell has an interesting piece that also covers this: Join or Die: Why Did it Have to be Snakes.

Shipping

Free standard domestic shipping on orders of $75 or more

Just add items to your cart totaling $75 or more (before tax and after discounts), and the shipping fee will be removed. No discount code needed.

This applies to most items, including shirts, caps, sweatshirts, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, blankets, and other qualifying items.

For orders below $75

Flat-rate shipping: Regardless of the number of items you order, the shipping price for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, and button packs is $5.95.

For hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets, the shipping cost is $8.95. 

Our flat rate shipping means you can add two or more t-shirts, sweatshirts, or caps for no additional shipping charge.

Learn more about shipping here.

All original designs are copyrighted by The History List

All designs are copyrighted by The History List and the History Nerd text and design on t-shirts is a registered trademark. If you see a knock off, please let me know.

Made by America

Almost all of the new products we offer are designed by us and made in America and most of our Rare Finds were made in America.

Our original designs are based on our nation’s history and our love of American history. Read more about other things we've created, including The History List, History Camp, and The Pursuit of History, in addition to The History List Store.

All original designs are copyrighted by The History List.

Every product that is made in America states that in the product description and includes the "Made in U.S.A." graphic. There are a relatively small number of items where we’ve not been able to find a manufacturing partner here in the States, but we continue to look.  

Our nation’s historyOur original designs

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  • 5 stars: 25 (100%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
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J
Jessica H.
Perfect for 250

I have always loved this image, and having it on a shirt just makes it 10x cooler. The shirt is extremely comfortable, and I always get compliments or questions about the snake. Any time I can share my love of history is a win for me! I am always happy with my History List products.

A
Anonymous
Awesome Design

Excellent shirt with an awesome design. Very comfortable.

V
Vince G.
Join or Die T-Shirt

“Join or Die” is one of my favorite Colonial Political Cartoons. I like the unique style of the shirt, how the artwork wraps around from front to back. The shirt itself is high quality as well.

M
Meredith O.
Comfortable and Stylish

These shirts are soft, comfortable and look sharp

J
Jonathan B.
Great shirt, perfect fit

This shirt exceeded expectations. It is very comfortable and true to size.

J
Joseph M.
High Quality shirt

My “Join or Die” is durable, comfortable & the graphics are fantastic. It’s a truly comfortable shirt that allows me to show my love of history.

L
Loni P.
Great quality

Bought this for my son for Christmas. Great quality made in America tee! Hope he loves it like I do :)

P
Patrick T.
Great shirt!

High quality, comfortable, and looks great!

L
Liam C.
My favorite t-shirt

I own several History List shirts and this is by far my favorite. I better buy another one before these sell out!

G
Graham B.
Looks great, fits great

Fit as described, good material, nice print, feels very comfortable.

M
Mark W.
Join or Die T-Shirt Good Quality

Purchased this for a friend writing his doctoral dissertation on the French and Indian War (which this illustration was originally regarding) - size was accurate and the material is indeed nice and thick Jersey... it should wear well and long.

S
Scott W.
This message is for NOW!

I am buying these shirts to message all who see the relevant truth that we in America are in the same situation as in the 1700's. These shirts are very well made, fit well and take a beating.

S
Stacy M.
Always love History List products

I purchased this shirt for my son, and he loves it. All the shirts I've purchased are wonderfully soft! Thanks again, History List and Lee!

M
Matthew M.
Great All Around

I have no bought 4 t-shirts from History List and I have to say that fit great, are made out of great fabric, and get me compliments everywhere I go. Awesome company.

R
Regina O.
Very Soft

It was a gift for my son and he loves it!

N
Naomi N.
Join or die super comfy!

Love the quality of the shirt. So soft!

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Leif B.
Great customer service.

Have purchased a few items from this site now. Had to do a return to correct the size on one item and it was processed quickly. Great service.

M
Michael D.C.
Join or Die tshirt

Great shirt, super comfortable and fits exactly like I wanted. This is my 4th shirt from you guys and they are the best fitting tshirts I've ever owned.

A
Ari O.
One of my best buys this year!

Not only is the caliber of the apparel incredible, the content is clearly relevant, seemingly now more than ever. To paraphrase Hawkings, humanity is the result of imperfection, and our history is a reflection of that. All of your products are instant conversation starters, and a walking lesson in that beautiful struggle. This nation is the greatest experiment known to man and born from that is the greatest nation ever to exist. Thank you for honoring that.

r
robert w.

"Join or Die" Shirt - with 100% cotton Made in the USA as an option

S
Scott R.
Great shirt

Quality shirt, it came quickly. Very comfortable and made of quality material.

C
Christopher R.
Awesome comfortable shirt!

I really like this shirt, the poly cotton blend is perfect for the summer and the design is subtly cool!

Z
Zach R.
Wonderful shirt!!

The shirt fits perfectly, and the material is very soft and comfortable. Perfect for a larger history buff like me!

E
Ellen S.
Join or Die Shirt

Another great Tee shirt from the History List. That makes my 10th! Very soft and comfortable. Great design. Love the V-neck style for the ladies. Also love to support the study of history!

A
Andrew C.
My favorite shirt!

Ever since they displayed this design and fielded pre-orders, I have been super excited about getting my hands on one of these shirts. Unlike the other T-shirts that also feature Franklin‘s famous sketch, I really like how this one wraps around the torso. As with all of their clothing, very comfortable, great material, and worth the price.

B
Barbara C.

When will you get more large and medium t-shirts in?? I really want to buy some! Thanks.

The History List

Hi,

This are currently being reprinted and we should have them back in stock really soon. Please sign up on the "Back in stock" form to be notified in email when they are available for purchase. Thank you for your interest.

Danella

E
Elizabeth N.

Are you getting anymore size large, blue? I keep checking but I'm about to give up & buy elsewhere

The History List

I'm sorry, but we aren't. We are discontinuing that color because it wasn't very popular. All we have left are in Small. This is stated in the description, but after your question, we're going to add text to the photo of the slate blue shirt so that others see it who might not read the description. Thanks for asking your question, and I'm sorry that we won't have it in a Large. The other colors look really good, and the way in which we print the design is very different than anyone else out there. Plus, the shirts are very high-quality. If you order it and aren't happy with it for any reason, just let us know and we'll make it right. — Lee Wright | Founder

L
Lisa

I am interested in the slate blue shirt but they are unavailable, Are they going to be available again?

The History List

Thanks, Lisa, for your question. We aren't going to carry this design in slate blue any longer and just have some in Small left. Thanks for your interest. — Lee