Temperance Movement

Temperance movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Temperance Movement attempts to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed within a ... to the idea of the compulsory Scientific Temperance Instruction Movement. ...
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temperance movements: Information from Answers.com
temperance movement International social movement dedicated to the control of alcohol consumption through the promotion of moderation and abstinence
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New Georgia Encyclopedia: Temperance Movement
... Late Nineteenth Century, 1877-1900 >> Topics >> Temperance Movement ... An organized temperance movement began in Georgia in the late 1820s and, after ...
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The Temperance Movement
The temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries was an organized ... Temperance efforts existed in antiquity, but the movement really came into its ...
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CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Temperance Movements
Covers the history in Europe, the United States, and Canada ... Reasons for a temperance movement exist to a greater or less degree in all the ...
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Temperance Movement | Drug Abuse and Effects Summary
Temperance Movement | Drug Abuse and Effects. Temperance Movement summary with 5 pages of encyclopedia entries, research information, and more.
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Temperance Society
Nonconformists were very active in the temperance movement. ... took in the life of the village was in connection with the Temperance Movement. ...
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Category:Temperance movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Category:Temperance movement. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to: navigation, search. The main article for this category is Temperance movement. ...
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Temperance - New World Encyclopedia
The temperance movement attempted to greatly reduce the amount of alcohol ... birth to the idea of the compulsory Scientific Temperance Instruction Movement. ...
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The Temperance Movement and Class Struggle in Victorian England
The temperance movement was a major cause of social reform in Victorian Britain. ... The three phases of the temperance movement, however, proved that the middle and ...
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The temperance movement attempted to greatly reduce the amount of alcohol consumed or even prohibit its production and consumption entirely.In predominantly Muslim countries, temperance is part of Islam. In predominantly Christian countries, forms of Christianity influenced by Methodism views on sanctification have strongly supported it at times. More specifically, religious or moralistic beliefs have often been the catalyst for temperance, though secular advocates do exist. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is a prominent example of a religion-based temperance movement.

Most of the biggest supporters in all countries have been women, often as part of what some describe as feminism. The strong temperance movements of the early 20th century found most of their support in women who were opposed to the domestic violence associated with alcohol abuse, and the large share of household income it could consume, which was especially burdensome to the low-income working class.

United States In colonial America, informal social controls in the home and community helped maintain that the abuse of alcohol was unacceptable. As the colonies grew from a rural society into a more urban one, drinking patterns began to change. As the American Revolution approached, economic change and urbanization were accompanied by increasing poverty, unemployment, and crime. These emerging social problems were often blamed on drunkenness. Social control over alcohol abuse declined, anti-drunkenness Local ordinance were relaxed and alcohol problems increased dramatically.

It was in this environment that people began seeking an explanation and a solution for drinking problems. One suggestion had come from one of the foremost physicians of the period, Dr. Benjamin Rush. In 1784, Dr. Rush argued that the excessive use of alcohol was injurious to physical and psychological health (he believed in moderation rather than prohibition). Apparently influenced by Rush's widely discussed belief, about 200 farmers in a Connecticut community formed a temperance association in 1789. Similar associations were formed in Virginia in 1800 and New York State in 1808. Within the next decade, other temperance organizations were formed in eight states, some being statewide organizations.

The future looked bright for the young movement, which advocated temperance or moderation rather than abstinence. But many of the leaders overestimated their strength; they expanded their activities and took positions on , profanation of the Sabbath in Christianity, and other moral issues. They became involved in political bickering and by the early 1820s their movement stalled.

But some leaders persevered in pressing their cause forward. Americans such as Lyman Beecher, who was a Conneticut minister, had started to lecture his fellow citizens against all use of liquor in 1825 The American Temperance Society was formed in 1826 and benefited from a renewed interest in religion and morality. Within 10 years it claimed more than 8,000 local groups and over 1,500,000 members. By 1839, 15 temperance journals were being published. Simultaneously, many Protestant churches were beginning to promote temperance.

Prohibition Between 1830 and 1840, most temperance organizations began to argue that the only way to prevent drunkenness was to eliminate the consumption of alcohol. The Temperance Society became the Abstinence Society. The International Organisation of Good Templars, the Sons of Temperance, the Templars of Honor and Temperance, the Anti-Saloon League, the National Prohibition Party and other groups were formed and grew rapidly. With the passage of time, "The temperance societies became more and more extreme in the measures they championed."

While it began by advocating the temperate or moderate use of alcohol, the movement now insisted that no one should be permitted to drink any alcohol in any quantity. It did so with religious fervor and increasing convictions.

The Maine law, passed in 1851 in Maine, was one of the first statutory implementations of the developing temperance movement in the United States. Temperance activist Neal Dow helped force the law into existence. The passage of the law, which prohibited the sale of all alcoholic beverages except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes," quickly spread elsewhere, and by 1855 twelve states had joined Maine in total prohibition. These were "dry" states; states without prohibition laws were "wet."

The act was unpopular with many working class people and immigrants. Opposition to the law turned violent in Portland, Maine on June 2, 1855 during an incident known as the Maine law riot.

Temperance Education In 1880 the Women’s Christian Temperance Union(WCTU) established a Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction in Schools and Colleges, with Mary Hunt as National Superintendent. She believed that voters "must first be convinced that alcohol and kindred narcotics are by nature outlaws, before they will outlaw them." Elizabeth D. Gelok was one of the women that taught Scientific Temperance Instruction at the Schools and Colleges for the students. She was also a member of the WCTU along with Mary Hunt. She was one of the most well-known and loved Scientific Temperance Instruction teachers because the students loved her strong faith in the WCTU. She really believed in the Women's Christian Temperance Union and wanted to do anything in her power to be heard. Elizabeth decided to use legislation to coerce the moral suasion of students, who would be the next generation of voters. This gave birth to the idea of the compulsory Scientific Temperance Instruction Movement.

By the turn of the century, Mary Hunt’s efforts along with Elizabeth's and the other teacher's proved to be highly successful. Virtually every state, the District of Columbia, and all United States possessions had strong legislation mandating that all students receive anti-alcohol education. Furthermore, the implementation of this legislation was closely monitored down to the classroom level by legions of determined and vigilant WCTU members throughout the nation.

Temperance writers viewed the WCTU's program of compulsory temperance education as a major factor leading to the establishment of National Prohibition with passage of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution to the U.S. Constitution. Other knowledgeable observers, including the U.S. Commissioner of Education, agreed.

Because of the correlation between drinking and domestic violence -- many drunken husbands abused family members-- the temperance movement existed alongside various feminism and other movements, including the progressivism movement, and often the same activists were involved in all of the above. Many notable voices of the time, ranging from Lucy Webb Hayes to Susan B. Anthony, were active in the movement. In Canada, Nellie McClung was a longstanding advocate of temperance. As with most social movements, there was a gamut of activists running from violent (Carrie Nation) to mild (Neal S. Dow).

Many former abolitionists joined the temperance movement and it was also strongly supported by the second that began to emerge after 1915.

For decades prohibition was seen by temperance movement zealots and their followers as the almost magical solution to the nation's poverty, crime, violence, and other ills. On the eve of prohibition the invitation to a church celebration in New York said "Let the church bells ring and let there be great rejoicing, for an enemy has been overthrown and victory crowns the forces of righteousness." Jubilant with victory, some in the WCTU announced that, having brought Prohibition to the United States, it would now go forth to bring the blessing of enforced abstinence to the rest of the world.

The famous evangelist Billy Sunday staged a mock funeral for John Barleycorn and then preached on the benefits of prohibition. "The reign of tears is over," he asserted. "The slums will soon be only a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs." Since alcohol was to be banned and since it was seen as the cause of most, if not all, crime, some communities sold their jails. One sold its jail to a farmer who converted it into a combination pig and chicken house while another converted its jail into a tool house.

Anti-Saloon League The Anti-Saloon League, under the leadership of Wayne Wheeler stressed political results and utilized pressure politics. It did not demand that politicians change their drinking habits, only their votes in the legislature. Other organizations like the Prohibition Party and the WCTU lost influence to the League. The League mobilized its religious coalition to pass state (and local) legislation. Energized by the anti-German sentiment during World War I, in 1918 it achieved the main goal of passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution establishing National Prohibition.

Temperance organizations Temperance organizations of the United States played an essential role in bringing about ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution establishing national prohibition of alcohol. They included:

the American Issue Publishing House
the American Temperance Society
the Anti-Saloon League of America
the British Women's Temperance Association
the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America
the Committee of Fifty (1893)
the Daughters of Temperance
the Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction
the International Organisation of Good Templars
the Knights of Father Matthew
the Lincoln-Lee Legion
the Methodist Board of Temperance, Prohibition, and Public Morals
the National Temperance Society and Publishing House
the People's Democratic Temperance League
the People's Temperance League
the Prohibition Party
the Scientific Temperance Federation
the Sons of Temperance
the Templars of Honor and Temperance
the Theobald Mathew
the Women’s Christian Temperance Union
the National Temperance Council
the World League Against Alcoholism (a pro-prohibition organization)

There was often considerable overlap in membership in these organizations, as well as in leadership. Prominent temperance leaders in the United States included James Cannon, Jr., James Black, Ernest Cherrington, Neal S. Dow, Mary Hunt, William E. Johnson (known as " foot" Johnson), Carrie Nation, Howard Hyde Russell, John St. John, Billy Sunday, Theobald Mathew, Andrew Volstead and Wayne Wheeler.

United Kingdom Starting from a group of workers "taking the pledge", the British Association for the Promotion of Temperance was established by 1835. Within a few years the Temperance movement was advocating complete Teetotal rather than moderation.

In 1853, inspired by the Maine law in the USA, the United Kingdom Alliance was formed aimed at promoting a similar law prohibiting the sale of alchohol in the UK.

In Wales Lady Llanover closed all the public houses on her estate and was an ouspoken critic of the evils of drink.

Quakers and the Salvation Army lobbied parliament to restrict alcohol sales.

Nonconformists were active with large numbers of Baptist and Congregational ministers being teetotal.

The British Women's Temperance Association persuaded men to stop drinking and the Band of Hope founded in Leeds in 1847, and active today, was an organization for working class children.

The National Temperance Federation formed in 1884 was associated with the Liberal Party (UK). Sparatacus.schoolnet

Ireland In Ireland, a Catholic priest Theobald Mathew (temperance reformer) persuaded thousands to sign the pledge.

New Zealand In New Zealand at the end of the 19th Century it became apparent that problems associated with settlement, such as larrikinism and drunkenness, were growing in society. Increasing urbanisation heightened public awareness of the gap between social aspirations and reality of the young colony. Generalisations from newspapers, visiting speakers & politicians in the late 1890’s allowed development of large public overreaction and fervour to the magnitude of the problem of alcohol. It became the firm opinion of a number of prominent New Zealander’s that the colony’s problems were associated with alcohol.

Despite the efforts of the temperance movement the rate of convictions for drunkenness remained constant in New Zealand. The rapid increase in the number of convictions for public drunkenness was more a reflection of the growing population rather than social denigration.

The pressure applied from the temperance movement crippled New Zealand’s young wine industry post WWI

In 1834 the first recorded temperance meeting was held in the Bay of Islands (Northland). The 1860’s saw the foundation of a large number of temperance societies. Many provinces passed licencing ordinances giving residents the right to secure, by petition, the cancellation or granting of liquor licences in their district. The Licencing Act of 1873 allowed the prohibition of liquor sales in districts if petitioned by two-thirds of residents. In this year a national body called the ‘New Zealand Alliance for Suppression and Abolition of Liquor Traffic’ was formed pushing for control of the liquor trade as a democratic right. In 1893the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act aligned licencing districts with parliamentary electorates. In 1894 Clutha electorate voted ‘no-licence’. In 1902 Mataura and Ashburton voted ‘no-licence’. In 1905 Invercargill, Oamaru and Greylynn voted ‘no-licence’. In 1908Bruce, Wellington suburbs, Wellington South, Masterton, Ohinemuri and Eden voted ‘no-licence’and many winemakers were denied the right to sell their wines locally and were forced out of business. In 1911 the Liquor Amendment Act provided for national poll on prohibition and the New Zealand Viticultural Association was formed to “save this fast decaying industry by initiation of such legislation as will restore confidence among those who after long years of waiting have almost lost confidence in the justice of the Government. Through harsh laws and withdrawal of government support and encouragement that had been promised, a great industry had been practically ruined.” In 1914 sensing a growing feeling of wowserism, Prime Minister Massey lambasted Dalmatian wine as ‘a degrading, demoralising and sometimes maddening drink’ (Dalmatians featured prominently in the New Zealand wine industry at this time). On April 10 1919 a national poll for continuance was carried with 51%, due only to votes of Expeditionary Force soldiers returning from Europe. On December 7 a second poll failed by 3363 votes to secure prohibition over continuance or state purchase and control of liquor. Restrictive legislation was introduced on sale of liquor. In 1928 the percentage of prohibition votes begin to decline.

Australia A variety of organizations promoted temperance in Australia. While often connected with Christian groups, including the Roman Catholic Church in Australia and the Anglican Church of Australia churches and Methodist groups, there were also groups with international links such as the Independent Order of Rechabites, the Band of Hope and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

References

Bibliography

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Ernest Cherrington, ed., Standard Encyclopaedia of the Alcohol Problem 6 volumes (1925-1930), comprehensive international coverage to late 1920s
Clark; Norman H. Deliver Us From Evil: An Interpretation of American Prohibition. W.W. Norton , 1976. supports prohibition
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Timberlake, James H. Prohibition and the Progressive Movement, 1900-1920. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963.
Tracy, Sarah W. and Caroline Jean Acker; Altering American Consciousness: The History of Alcohol and Drug Use in the United States, 1800-2000 U of Massachusetts Press, 2004
Tyrrell, Ian; Woman's World/Woman's Empire: The Woman's Christian Temperance Union in International Perspective, 1880-1930 U of North Carolina Press, 1991