06/02/2026
“Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Colorado and Idaho were the first five states to grant women the right to vote, the last being Idaho in 1896. From 1896 to 1911, though, the movement seemed to stall, with no additional states granting suffrage rights to women. Vigorous campaigns in California, Ohio, and other states tried to push state-level legislation through on the issue. In November, 1911, California became the sixth state to grant women’s suffrage, and in 1912, the western states of Oregon, Montana, Arizona followed suit.
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The addition of the California’s “sixth star” to the women’s suffrage flags, banners and pin-backs in the 1911-1912 period, was an important symbolic milestone for the movement. The “six-star” flag also happens to coincide precisely with the introduction of the 48 star flag. New Mexico, 47, entered the Union on January 6, 1912, and Arizona, 48, entered the Union on February 14, 1912, just 2 months after California granted women the right to vote. On November 5, 1912, Arizona granted women the right to vote, which means that this flag, made to celebrate both Arizona Statehood and California’s Suffrage vote, dates from the period of February-November 1912.
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It has always been my opinion that this flag was a very early 48 star flag, since its extravagant medallion pattern doesn’t conform to President Taft’s executive order of June 12, 1912, which declared that flags henceforth should be standardized to a pattern of 6 even rows of 8 stars. This also narrows the date of this flag to the first half of 1912. This flag is the only surviving Women’s Suffrage flag in the Stars and Stripes pattern that I am aware of. As such, it is a true national treasure and symbol of American progress.”
-Anthony Lasso, Rare Flags
