USE OF TRI-COLORS: BRITISH & AMERICAN

	Broadside from the British suffrage movement printed in the colors purple, white, and green.

A second color theme widely employed in the American movement was the use of the tricolors purple, white, and green and, later, the use of purple, white, and gold. Purple, white, and green originated with the Women's Social and Political Union in the British suffrage movement to symbolize loyalty, purity, and hope. The use of these colors was transferred to the American scene by Harriot Stanton Blatch (daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton) and others returning from their work with Emmeline, Christabel, and Sylvia Pankhurst, leaders of the militant suffrage movement in England.

	Suffrage ribbons from the United States demonstrating the transfer of the colors purple, white, and green to the American suffrage movement.

The use of the colors purple, white, and green was concentrated primarily in New York, where Blatch set up her suffrage association, and in the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut. As these states had strong suffrage organizations, these colors also became symbolic along with the more traditional American color, gold. Suffrage parades and demonstrations in New York often featured the use and intermingling of both color themes.

	Suffrage button in purple, white, and green from the American movement. This button was probably circulated in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, states influenced by Mrs. Blatch's organization.

In 1913, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who had both demonstrated for suffrage in Britain, set up the congressional Union in Washington, DC as a branch of the NAWSA. The group's tactics became so militant, they parted company with the more conservative NAWSA and formed the National Women's Party in 1916. So strong was the American traditional use of gold, it moved the Party to choose purple, white, and gold for it's official colors, despite the organization's British antecedents. [9]

Indeed, so centrally symbolic was gold to the American suffrage cause, that when passage of the 19th amendment appeared imminent after so many years of struggle, the women of the NAWSA ordered a pen specially made for the historic signing ceremonies in the Senate - a pen of gold. [10]

	Gold pen used in the suffrage signing ceremony when the Senate passed the Amendment. The pen is housed in the Women's History Collections, Political Collections of the Division of Social History, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.