The temperance movement began as a smoldering fire. Then it became a bonfire. During the 20th century it grew into a rageing forest fire. It finally led to Prohibition in America. At first, local areas and a few states voted for their own prohibition. But the pace quickened early in the 20th century. By the …
The repeal of Prohibition in the U.S. Was it the sad ending of a great Noble Experiment to create a better society? Or was it the return to sanity after a failed attempt to deny personal liberty and coerce others? I. Promise of Prohibition Tens of millions of Americans saw National Prohibition as the solution …
The temperance movement in the U.S. needed grassroots support. But it also needed leaders who could effectively build, mobilize, and lead that support. The temperance leaders on this page excelled. The list of major leaders is followed by one of notable leaders. Temperance leaders were often fascinating and colorful people. They were flesh and blood …
The Anti-Saloon League (ASL) was the leading organization promoting National Prohibition in the U.S. It was a non-partisan political pressure group that began in 1893. A single-issue lobbying group, it had branches across the country. It worked with churches in marshaling resources for the prohibition fight. The League’s main base of support was among Protestant …
The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution was the “National Prohibition amendment.” It banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. and its possessions. Contrary to common belief, it did not prohibit the purchase or consumption of alcohol. Congress proposed the Amendment on December 18, 1917. The Senate passed it on …
One of the major supporters of National Prohibition in the U.S. (1920-1933) was the anti-alcohol Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Indeed, the KKK supported Prohibition vigorously. It sometimes defended it violently. The KKK’s defense of Prohibition explains much of its popularity during the 1920s. In fact, people across the country supported the Klan. I. The KKK …
Hiram Wesley Evans was Imperial Wizard (leader) of the “second” Ku Klux Klan (KKK) from 1922 until 1939. The second Klan is often called the KKK of the 1920s. It was formed by Methodist minister and Democratic leader William J. Simmons. It was in 1915 on Stone Mountain near Atlanta. Simmons formed it to defend …
Edward C. Delavan was a rich and very generous promoter of the temperance movement. Delavan’s Beginnings Delavan was born on January 6, 1793 in Franklin, New York. His parents were Stephen Delavan and Hannah Wallace Delavan. 1820 he married Abigail Marvin Smith and they had five children. In the economic boom caused by the opening …
Marie C. Brehm had an unusual legal name. It was “Suffragette Marie Caroline Brehm.” She was born in 1859 in Ohio. Later she moved to Wheaton, Illinois. Marie Brehm joined the Woman’ Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1891. The next year she became district president. In 1895, she became recording secretary of the Illinois WCTU. …
The women leaders of temperance and prohibition worked hard to promote their vision of a better world. They believed that temperance would lead to better family life, stronger morals, improved behaviors, and greater prosperity. I. Background: Women Leaders The temperance movement began before women the right to vote. But it gave opportunities to develop leadership …
