Saturday, September 14, 2024
Think back with me, if you will, to your last trip to just about any government office. There you are, patiently waiting in line with a stack of forms in hand. The clock seems to tick slower than usual, and the line ahead of you barely moves. You’re caught in the labyrinth of procedures, paperwork and endless signatures. Frustrated, you might find yourself muttering about all the “red tape” you have to deal with.
On a recent trip to the DMV, I heard at least three people use that phrase while standing in line. Have you ever wondered why we use the term “red tape” to describe this kind of bureaucratic nightmare? Well, buckle up because we’re about to take a journey through time to unravel the story behind this colorful phrase.
FROM REGAL RED TO A SYMBOL OF BUREAUCRACY
The phrase “red tape” wasn’t always a derogatory term. In fact, it started with a much more dignified purpose. Let’s travel back to the 11th century, where English clerks were busy managing the kingdom’s important documents. To ensure these papers didn’t fall into the wrong hands, they were bound with red, ribbon-like cloth. The choice of red wasn’t random; it was a color associated with royalty, wealth and power. In those days, red dyes were expensive, often made from insects like cochineal or kermes, making red ribbon a mark of significance.
But why red? Besides its association with royalty, the color was easy to spot among a sea of parchment, making it perfect for binding documents that required special attention. So, the next time you hear about “cutting through the red tape,” imagine someone literally slicing through a ribbon to reveal the contents of an important letter.
THE RISE OF RED TAPE ACROSS EUROPE
As time marched on, the practice of binding documents with red tape spread beyond England. By the 16th century, during the reign of King Charles V of Spain, red tape became a symbol of official government business. Important documents were distinguished by their red bindings, setting them apart from more mundane paperwork. This use of red tape wasn’t just about securing documents; it was about signaling their importance to anyone who handled them.
This tradition crossed the Atlantic to the American colonies, where red tape remained the go-to method for binding official records. In 1696, for instance, a law in Maryland required that public land records be sealed with a red cross and bound with red tape. Even the infamous Stamp Act of 1765, which stirred up quite a bit of trouble in the colonies, was secured with red tape.
WHEN RED TAPE TURNED UGLY
So far, red tape seems pretty harmless, right? But things started to change in the 19th century. As governments grew more complex and the amount of paperwork increased, so did the frustration with all the rules and regulations that came with it. Enter the Scottish author Thomas Carlyle, who in 1850 famously criticized what he called the “red-tape” establishments of the British government in his work “Latter Day Pamphlets.”
Carlyle wasn’t just annoyed by the physical red tape binding documents; he was frustrated by the bureaucratic inefficiencies it had come to represent. By this time, the phrase “red tape” had morphed into a metaphor for any frustratingly slow or complicated process. The very thing that once symbolized order and authority had become a symbol of everything that was wrong with bureaucracy.
CIVIL WAR VETERANS AND THE AMERICAN RED TAPE STRUGGLE
The term “red tape” didn’t just stay in the UK. It found fertile ground in the United States, particularly after the American Civil War. Veterans returning home faced the daunting task of securing pensions and benefits, but the process was anything but straightforward. Their records, often bound in red tape, were notoriously difficult to access. This struggle only deepened the association between red tape and bureaucratic inefficiency in the American psyche.
Imagine being a war veteran, trying to prove your service, only to be bogged down by endless paperwork and procedures. The literal red tape binding these documents became a painful reminder of how difficult it was to navigate the system. This frustration helped solidify “red tape” as the go-to phrase for describing excessive bureaucracy in the United States.
FROM THE ARCHIVES TO SOUVENIR SHOPS
You might think that with the advent of modern technology, red tape would be relegated to the history books, but it’s actually found a new lease on life. In the 1990s, as the National Archives began transferring old Civil War documents to microfilm, it had to remove miles of red tape from these records. But rather than tossing it all in the trash, a clever volunteer came up with an idea: why not sell it as a souvenir?
And so, bits of historic red tape began to pop up in the National Archives gift shop, where tourists could purchase a piece of bureaucratic history for a few dollars. Today, you can find jewelry and other mementos made from this red tape, offering a tangible connection to the past.
WHY WE STILL TALK ABOUT RED TAPE TODAY
Even though we no longer use red ribbon to bind our documents, the term “red tape” is still alive and well in our language. It’s a testament to how deeply entrenched the idea of bureaucracy is in our society. Whether you’re dealing with government paperwork, corporate procedures, or just a particularly complicated return process at the store, “cutting through the red tape” is a phrase that perfectly captures the frustration of dealing with too much bureaucracy.
The next time you find yourself grumbling about red tape, take a moment to appreciate the rich history behind the phrase. It’s more than just an annoying metaphor; it’s a window into how our societies have evolved and how the balance between order and efficiency is something we’ve grappled with for centuries. And who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll even own a little piece of red tape history, too.
micky@hcnews.com
