The story behind Texas' world-famous 'Come and Take It' flag

October 2nd marks the 183rd anniversary of the Battle of Gonzales, which marked the first military fight of the Texas Revolution in 1835.

The famous flag from that Gonzales clash has become a hallmark of Texas pride, with its "Come And Take It" message one of Texas' most-defining. It is the first flag used in the Texas Revolution and close to 200 years later it shows no signs of going away.

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It can be seen on shirts, neckties, underwear, license plates, album covers, food trucks, murals, hats, koozies, and fraternity walls, even tattooed into the skin of true blue Texans.

The phrase "Come and Take It" dates back to King Leonidas I defying the Persian army to take his army's weapons with the phrase "Molon labe" at the Battle of Thermopylae.

The Gonzales flag itself was created by Sarah Seely DeWitt and her daughter, Evaline, from Noami DeWitt's wedding dress.

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The Battle of Gonzales centered on American colonists in that town who were refusing to give back a cannon (the one on the flag) back to Mexican soldiers that they had received in 1831 to fend off Natives in the area. They wanted it now to defend themselves from Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's increasingly aggressive actions against the colonists.

As the Texas State Historical Association notes, the battle was actually more of skirmish. But it did mark a definitive break in relations between the Mexicans and the colonists. Less than a year later Texas would be its own republic.

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"Come and Take It" also was used in the American Revolution when Col. John McIntosh told British brass the same thing as they attempted to overtake Fort Morris in Georgia on November 25, 1778. The fort would later fall but the fight would motivate thousands to come.

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It has come to symbolize defiance against someone or something looking to grind you down or deprive you of a right or privilege.

The disposition of the cannon immortalized on the flag has been disputed. Some believe Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's troops melted it down along with other weaponry after they seized it. You can see replicas of the flag all over Texas. That is if you don't already have one above your living room mantel, like any self-respecting Texan.

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message