What Is the Meaning of the Yellow Rose in Women’s Suffrage?
The women’s suffrage movement adopted a few symbols, but one that stands out is the yellow rose. The yellow rose is still used today to honor the movement, but what does it mean? How did it become so important? Today, we will explore the history of the yellow rose and its significance in the women’s suffrage efforts.
The Symbols of the Women’s Suffrage
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the women’s suffrage movement gained momentum across the United States and beyond, suffragists adopted powerful symbols to rally support and express their message without words. Purple, white, and gold became associated with the movement and each one had its own meaning.
Purple represented dignity and loyalty, white represented purity and truth, and gold (or yellow) represented light and hope. Eventually, the yellow rose was adopted, primarily in the South, where suffragists faced the most challenges and opposition. For example, suffragists in Texas adopted the state flower, the yellow rose of Texas, to express solidarity with the women’s suffrage movement.
The Meaning of the Yellow Rose
The choice of the yellow rose was deliberate. The yellow color is associated with warmth, optimism, and enlightenment. Those are all qualities that the suffragists believed represented their fight for the women’s right to vote. The yellow rose also came to represent friendship and joy, which reflected the strong sense of camaraderie and common purpose the suffragists shared.
The yellow rose not only had significance, but it also served practical purposes in the women’s suffrage movement. Suffragists wore yellow roses during every public event and it became a visible symbol of their commitment. It had a very unifying effect, giving suffragists and their allies a sense of belonging and empowerment.
This symbol also became a powerful tool for advocacy because the suffragists used it to engage with the public at large and politicians. The yellow rose earned a positive connotation that helped sway people, which is why suffragists used it not only during public appearances but also in their literature. It became an essential part of the visual imagery of the women’s suffrage movement.
The War of the Roses
In 1919, the 19th Amendment was proposed, granting women the right to vote nationwide. However, it needed to be ratified by three-fourths of the states, requiring 36 approvals. By 1920, 35 states had ratified it, leaving Tennessee as the potential deciding vote.
The suffragists were campaigning fiercely in Tennessee, but so were the anti-suffragists. Both groups had headquarters at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville and the suffragists wore yellow roses while the anti-suffragists wore red roses. This is what became known as the symbolic “War of the Roses”.
Eventually, the state Senate approved the amendment, but the House would be a more difficult win for the suffragists. Speaker Seth Walker attempted to postpone the vote, leading to a tied decision twice. Finally, on the crucial vote, Representative Harry Burn, influenced by a letter from his mom, broke the tie by voting “yes.” In other words, the suffragists won the War of the Roses and the decades-long war for equal rights.
Final Words
Today, the legacy of the yellow rose continues to resonate with people who advocate for quality and social justice. It’s a reminder not just of the progress that has been made, but also of the work that still needs to be done. The yellow rose is a symbol of empowerment and unity, and it’s also a way to honor the women who came before us.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/symbols-of-the-women-s-suffrage-movement.htm