Smith-Trahern Mansion celebrates the 19th amendment with the “Hello Yellow” project

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. Volunteers at the Smith-Trahern Mansion have planted bright yellow zinnias and black-eyed Susans to honor the suffragists that called Clarksville home nearly 100 years ago.

The “Hello Yellow” garden initiative is a movement to celebrate the suffragists that fought for the 19th Amendment. The yellow rose was worn by pro-suffrage leaders in support of giving women the right to vote in the early 1900s.

In memory of that time, the 2020 Vision Committee of Montgomery County is urging local residents to plant or place any yellow flowers within their homes and landscapes in the upcoming year, in preparation of this historic centennial event. Activists wore the bold yellow roses to show that they supported ratification of the 19th amendment.

The War of the Roses

The War of the Roses began when anti-suffrage leaders began wearing red roses to depict their idea of womanhood. The red roses became an emblem of their efforts to silence the growing number of suffragists. Pro-suffragists, however, decided to go against this ideal with a symbol of their own, the yellow rose. As time went on and the fight for giving women the vote became national news, the yellow rose became a token of the movement.

The Perfect 36

Tennessee became a battleground state in the debate over women’s suffrage. Thirty-five states had already voted yes to ratify the amendment, and only one more state was needed to make the amendment law. A 24-year-old Tennessee legislator named Harry T. Burn became the final lawmaker to vote in favor of the 19th amendment, after receiving a letter from his mother urging him to do so. Tennessee became known as “the perfect 36”. The 36th state to vote yes to ratification.

“Hello Yellow” Garden Project

To commemorate all of the activists that worked with such dedication for the suffragist cause, place a pretty yellow mum on your porch this fall or some bright yellow lilies in your garden next spring. The “hello yellow” gardens gives remembrance to the efforts of the pioneering women and men that fought for equality of the sexes.

The 2020 Vision Committee of Montgomery County will have continuous events leading up to the dedication of the Tennessee Triumph statue in 2020. You can email photos of your “Hello Yellow” garden or display to mmpile@utk.edu.