"Join or Die" Socks — Made in USA

Taken from the original illustration in Franklin’s The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754.  Originally, a warning to the colonies, urging them to unite against the French and Native American 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 socks: Woven in America with 75% Cotton, 22% Nylon, and 3% Spandex.

Size: One size fits most. According to the mill, US Men's Shoe 7-14 and US Women's Shoe 7-13. However, one early customer is a woman who wears a size 5 shoe and she’s very happy with her socks and said they fit just fine.

Care: Machine wash cold and tumble dry.

Also available, "Victory or Death" Socks. Buy two pairs of “Join or Die” socks or add a second pair of "Victory or Death" Socks and save.

This design is also available in a crewneck shirt for men and women, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, women's v-neck shirt, tank top for women, sticker, 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.

Read more about the historic event behind the design here.

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.