History, Social Factors and Economic Impac of the Prohibition of Alcohol in the United States

Frances Willard was an American educator, temperance reformer, and women’s advocate. She taught at a public school, was the president of the Evanston College for Ladies, and became dean of women at Northwestern University. After Willard relinquished her career as an educator she became a reformer in the Temperance Movement. The Temperance Movement was the social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Willard took on the duty of trying to stop alcohol consumption in the United States. She did this without pay for many years and became the secretary of the Chicago Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. While working

The 1800s in the United States marked the beginning of many reforms that would be characterized as Progressive. Progressives fought to overcome ineffective governments, corrupt political institutions, and the horrible living and working conditions of the poor. Women’s reform began when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded in 1874. The women who made up this union were non-violent protesters against the dangers of alcohol. Within three months, the group was able to drive out alcohol from 250 communities. This was the first time that women were able to see

Women became very involved in the push to stop drinking. They believed it would protect

Mary Hunt – head of Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and fought strongly for the effect of alcohol on voters

A couple of these groups were the National Association Opposed to Women Suffrage and the National Association of Colored Women; in which, became larger with these other associations trends. One of the first movements of this error was that of the prohibition of alcohol in 1919 by one of the more well-known organizations The Women’s Christian Temperance Movement. Some of the great women leaders of this time were Ida B Wells-Barnett who let the drive against the lynching of African Americans. Jane Adams set up the Chicago’s Hull-House which educated and helped local immigrants. Charlotte Hawkins Brown helped to secure a good education for black children. Margaret Sanger tried to convince all that birth control was important in family lives and Florence Kelly battled to protect working woman’s rights. These women help to change the world of the woman from a homemaker and mother only to having more roles publicly as well as politically. They were the start of the women lib era and began to get more support even for women to be able to

First, women changed their lives through the temperance movement. The temperance movement was a movement dedicated to prohibiting the drinking of alcohol. Prior to the temperance movement, Americans utilized alcohol in almost every aspect of their lives, as it is believed to be beneficial for one’s health. Women wanted

With the passing of the eighteenth amendment in nineteen twenty banning the manufacturing, selling, and transportation of alcohol many thought the United States had entered a new social and economic era. The past few decades had seen alcohol break families, lead to an increase in crime, and overall poor health in the American people, and many were ready for this time of temperance to restore order (Scott, “Prohibition in the United States”). The truth, as many would learn eventually, was far from that. Prohibition led to widespread economic decline, an overwhelmed American government and a massive increase in the consumption and selling of alcohol in the United States through

At a convention of the National Retail Liquor Dealer’s Association, the president quoted, “ Gentlemen, we need fear the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the ballot in the hands of women; therefore, gentlemen, fight woman suffrage” (Okrent 65). Many women realized that in order to push forth the suffrage movement, a strong counter measure was to act against the anti-prohibitionist. Basically, they wanted to push forth a movement that supported the issues that were important to them, and the prohibitionist did while the big liquor companies did not. For women, the “panic” was not n actual fear or moral dilemma but actually a way to gain support for and give power to the suffrage movement.

By the turn of the century, non-alcohol societies were common for several communities across the United States. Women were very involved in this movement because alcohol tended to destroy families and marriages. In 1906, the Anti-Saloon

When personal choice is withdrawn from individuals and prohibition is implemented to control natural human behavior, the hypocrisy that many preach the United States as being a free society and a nation of tolerance seems to deteriorate when politicians see any opportunity to capitalize on the masses without regard. Yet even after alcohol prohibition and fighting an endless war on drugs, history still repeats itself over and over again while the taxpayer is left with the bill. Responsible and recreational drug users feed the black market without any other option due to prohibition. And with an unlimited and unregulated supply from cartels to satisfy the consumer, there is no question why Al Capone came to light at the end of alcohol

Women believed that they should also play a role in helping those people who have become consumed by immoral acts redeem themselves. The Women's Temperance Crusade of 1873-1874 was the largest women's direct-action movement of the nineteenth century in the United States. Despite lacking the vote, women, who were much less likely to drink than men, took a more prominent role in the political agitation against drink in the United States than in any other country. For example,“In such mid- western states as Ohio women closed many saloons in 1878 and 1874 by extralegal means, such as obstructing entrances with prayer meetings” (Fahey 267). The women's movement quickly gained national prominence for her organizing efforts, speaking ability, liquor operations (shutting down salons), and dramatic court appearances, exemplified the female Crusader.

In 1851 Susan met Elizabeth Cady Stanton; soon they became great friends and colleagues. A year later that formed the first woman’s state temperance society. They formed this society to have women join and protest against women not having rights to vote. This society opened a little

The era was led by the Anti-Saloon League and the Women`s Christian Temperance Union because of

Liquor companies had a lot to lose if the Prohibitions came into effect. In the eyes of the manufacturers and distributers of alcohol women’s suffrage was linked directly to the temperance movement. These companies had the most to lose if women obtained their right to vote. It was widely acknowledged that if women received their right to vote alcohol would be banned within a short period of time.

Many of these believers were fanatical in their beliefs and in the delivery and spread of their message. Little by little the movements gained a stronger and stronger following of those who believed that alcohol and its consumption were rotting away the moral integrity, health, and overall foundation of American society. One of the largest constituents of this group was women. Women became so fixated on this cause that they made it into "the first women's mass movement in American history...[and] also the modern world's first large-scale, nonviolent protest movement" (Behr, 1996). These women used their determination and a strict sense of religious morality to spread their message and to gain a large audience as their efforts became increasingly covered in the increasingly important newspapers.