Bread and Roses

Uncommon card · No. 167861

"Bread and Roses" is a political slogan associated with women's suffrage and the labor movement; it is also the title of a related poem and song. The earliest known mention of the phrase is in 1911 by American women's suffrage activist Helen Todd; she explained the symbolism as: "Bread, which is home, shelter and security, and the Roses of life, music, education, nature and books". Todd's phrase inspired the title of the poem "Bread and Roses" by James Oppenheim. The poem was first published in The American Magazine in December 1911, with the attribution line "'Bread for all, and Roses, too'—a slogan of the women in the West." The poem has been translated into other languages and has been set to music by at least three composers. The phrase is commonly associated with the textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, between January and March 1912, now often referred to as the "Bread and Roses strike." The slogan pairing bread and roses, appealing for both fair wages and dignified working...

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