The Democratic Party of the United States has long been associated with the colors blue and white. These colors are prominently featured in the party’s logo and other branding. But when and why did the Democrats start using blue as their primary color? Here is a quick overview of the history and meaning behind the Democratic Party’s choice of blue.
Origins of Blue as a Political Color
The use of color to represent political parties dates back to the late 18th century when different colors were associated with opposing political factions in the United States and France. Blue was first used as a political color in the United States during the Revolutionary era. Supporters of the revolution and independence from Britain were known as “Patriots” and often wore blue cockades as part of their uniforms. The cockade featured a blue field with a white center. Meanwhile, opponents of independence who remained loyal to the British crown were known as “Loyalists” and wore red cockades.
So from the earliest days of American politics, blue signified those in favor of revolution and independence while red represented loyalty to the monarchy. This color symbolism carried over as the first American political parties emerged. When Thomas Jefferson and James Madison formed the Democratic-Republican Party in the 1790s, blue became associated with their party which supported states’ rights and favored France in foreign affairs. The opposing Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton adopted red as their color.
Development of Modern Democratic Blue
Over the next few decades, the Democratic-Republican Party evolved into the modern Democratic Party that we know today. The Democratic Party retained blue as their main color, although it was a lighter shade than the deep blue used by the earlier Democratic-Republicans.
In the election of 1840, Democratic supporters of Martin Van Buren began using visual symbols to promote their candidate. Van Buren supporters handed out bottles of old whiskey that featured a paper label with a blue flag bearing Van Buren’s name. This helped solidify blue as a key color associated with the Democratic Party in political imagery. Other Democratic propaganda in the 1840s started using blue more widely, including banners with a blue backdrop.
The establishment of an official Democratic Party emblem in 1848 further cemented the color blue in the party’s identity. The emblem featured a portrait of Andrew Jackson surrounded by a wreath of leaves on a background of blue. The emblem said “Constitutional Democracy, Jackson Democratic Association” and helped standardize blue as the official Democratic color as political parties began producing emblems and other visual materials.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1790s | Blue used by Democratic-Republican Party of Jefferson and Madison |
| 1840 | Blue labels and flags used by Van Buren supporters |
| 1848 | Official party emblem features blue background |
Use of Blue in Party Branding
By the election of 1888, blue was firmly established as a primary color across Democratic Party branding and materials. Campaign items for Grover Cleveland used blue text on white backgrounds or featured white stars on a blue field. However, in this era both parties often used red-white-and-blue Americana imagery that included both colors.
The 1896 election between Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan was a turning point in firming up the party color schemes. McKinley campaign materials emphasized the color red while Bryan supporters waved blue flags and ribbons at rallies. The distinct blue and red branding made it easier for color-coded political graphics to be reproduced in newspapers of the era.
Color-coded political maps also began emerging in this era, using blue to show support for Democrats. Blue became useful for differentiating between the parties as the United States essentially became a two-party system. Even though other colors were occasionally used over the years, blue and red became the standard party colors across most political materials.
Democratic Party publications and graphic materials over the 20th century almost universally adopted blue as the primary color. Various shades of blue are used on everything from campaign signs to websites and social media graphics. While red is considered the main color of the opposing Republican Party, blue has become so tied to the identity of the Democratic Party that simply referring to it as the “Blues” is commonplace.
| Decade | Use of Blue in Party Branding |
|---|---|
| 1840s | Blue labels and banners |
| 1880s | Blue backgrounds on campaign materials |
| 1890s | Blue flags and ribbons at rallies |
| 1900s | Blue on political maps |
| 2000s | Blue across digital materials |
Meaning Behind Democratic Blue
So why has blue in particular become the color of the Democratic Party? The origin of blue representing liberty, independence, and revolution against tyranny gives it a natural association with the party’s early history. But the contrast of blue vs. red also provided a clear visual delineation between America’s two dominant political parties as color graphics emerged.
The meaning behind the choice of blue has taken on additional dimensions over time. Blue represents tranquility, responsibility, and honesty. It has a cultural association with qualities like intelligence, stability, unity, and duty. While subjective, blue is often described as a “calming” color which lines up with liberal and progressive values. It contrasts with perceptions of red as more urgent and reactionary.
There are also international dimensions behind Democratic blue. Blue aligns with center-left and social democratic parties in Europe which share similar ideologies with America’s Democrats. Center-right conservative parties internationally are more likely to use blue’s complement red. This helps give a unified color branding to like-minded political organizations operating in different nations.
Finally, the American flag itself likely helped cement red and blue as the two party colors. The prominence of red, white, and blue in the flag made those logical colors for American political parties to adopt. The visual distinction between Republican red and Democratic blue is easy to recognize while still incorporating patriotic colors. So while the initial adoption of blue by Democrats was somewhat arbitrary, the color has come to embody deeper connections and values.
Exceptions and Variations
Despite the strong association between Democrats and the color blue, there have been occasional exceptions and variations:
– In some state-level elections during the 2000s, Democrats campaigned using red while Republicans used blue. This attempted to challenge the standard party color branding.
– The location and nature of specific political contests can result in color swapping. Conservative Southern Democrats would sometimes use red while more liberal Northern Republicans adopted blue.
– Incumbent candidates have sometimes purposefully chosen their own distinct colors apart from the standard party colors.
– While blue is considered the primary Democratic color, variants like azure, navy, or aquamarine may be used. Different shades help candidates stand out.
– Alternate accent colors like silver, gold, or light green may supplement blue in Democrat branding materials. USA flag motifs also incorporate white and red around the blue.
– Online media allows greater flexibility with color use. Democratic web pages and social media graphics employ a wide variety of hues and color schemes.
So while Democrats remain strongly identified with the color blue, its use is somewhat flexible based on specific circumstances and contexts. But blue has become so deeply ingrained as the Democratic color that any major deviation from it now seems unlikely.
Current Use in Party Branding
In the 2020 election cycle, Democrats again overwhelmingly embraced blue as the party’s identifying color:
– Joe Biden’s campaign used blue across nearly all signs, graphics, and merchandise. His campaign logo on a blue background became one of the most recognizable symbols of his candidacy.
– Other Democratic candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren stuck to blue signage and visuals, albeit sometimes paired with accent colors like pink or purple.
– The official Democratic Party platform document and social media graphics utilized blue motifs. The party logo features a blue D surrounded by a circle.
– Democrat-aligned groups like labor unions or progressive organizations use blue across their websites, signs, t-shirts, and other materials.
– Blue makes it easy for third-party graphic designers and websites to brand any materials cheering on Democratic candidates or policies.
– Media outlets visually distinguish Democrats from Republicans using blue and red coloring in charts, maps, and infographics related to the election.
This collective embrace of blue makes it easy for designers and supporters to create a cohesive brand identity for Democrats. While the origins of the color were somewhat arbitrary and organic, blue now plays a central role in how the Democratic Party presents itself visually. This entrenched association between Democrats and the color blue seems very unlikely to change anytime soon.
| Candidate | Use of Blue |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden | Blue logo and branding |
| Bernie Sanders | Blue signs with accent colors |
| Elizabeth Warren | Blue paired with purple |
| Democratic Party | Blue party logo |
Conclusion
While other colors like red, white, and even purple have been occasionally associated with Democrats over the centuries, blue has emerged as the near-universal color of the party since the late 1800s. This was solidified through its use across campaign materials in the 20th century. Blue conveys meanings like stability, honesty, and responsibility that align with Democratic Party values. The contrast of blue vs. red also enables easy visual differentiation from Republicans. Although variations in shade and accent colors do exist, Democrats have fully embraced blue as their brand color which is easily recognized by voters. So while the initial adoption of blue was somewhat random, it has become an integral part of the Democratic Party’s visual identity.