Remember the days when you did something to deserve The Big Box of Crayola crayons? Usually you either had to be pretty sick or incredibly good to earn The Big Box.
It was a magical experience. The smell--I always had to sniff a new box. The look--the crayons were so beautifully sharpened I hated to use them. But use them I did--64 magical colors that made my artwork come to life. I mean, we had (by my count) 12 shades of blue alone!
A Big Box and a coloring book could keep me quiet, entertained and out of trouble for hours! I'm sure my mother saw that as a good investment.
But this is a post about suffragists and the 19th Amendment. This is Day 16 of RosieCentral's Suffrage Month. So, did you know that Crayola crayons have been around since 1903. That means the daughters of suffragists could have been using the same crayons we loved. For that matter, some homemade Votes for Women signs may even have been made with cardboard and Crayolas.
What Happened in the Suffrage Movement in 1903?
Well, for one thing, the American Federation of Labor held its annual meeting in Boston, which only reminded women that their issues and safety were not important to the AFL...or the government for that matter.
It was time for female labor leaders and middle-class urban reformers to take matters into their own hands and create a trade union of their own--the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL). The labor organizer Mary Kenny O'Sullivan and other reformers made the case that suffrage would help boost women's working conditions. Later, the WTUL would become the heart of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU).
So, with that bit of historical trivia and the timeline connections between Crayola and suffrage, we invite you to have some fun.
Suffrage Postcard Coloring Fun
Here are four vintage suffrage postcards that we turned into coloring pages. You and your children or grandchildren can have fun coloring with today's Crayola Ultimate Box, which has an incredible 152 colors. It's a great opportunity to talk about suffrage, women's rights and equality with your kids while you're having fun.
Reminder About the 19% 19th Amendment Sale
Just a few days left to take advantage of the store-wide sale on Etsy Rosie Legacy Gear. It's packed with suffrage and Rosie the Riveter savings. At checkout, use Discount Code: EVERYTHING19. But you have to act by August 22nd.