A Nation of Drunkards The Roaring Twenties was a time when America broke away from its past and moved into a new modern era. It was a revolution of morals and a decade of experimentation and innovation. Within the twenties there was the jazz age, prohibition, a cultural civil war, and there were flappers. The new decade ushered in modern America. Everyone was changing, but not all of it was for good. America had completely transformed after World War I. Although many things such as racism, sexism, greed, and alcoholism stayed with Americans, many movements began in the 20’s that successfully ended inequality, like women not being eligible to vote. But the temperance movement, even though it had good intent, brought evils that had never before …show more content…
On April 5, 1840, six former alcoholics came together and pledged to never drink again. They established a society of reformed drunkards. Word began to spread and every state started to have meetings with thousands of alcoholics coming together and pledging to quit drinking. The same reformers that worked to abolish slavery worked to end alcoholism. The movement was called Temperance, and it led church organizations to start groups like the Sons of Temperance. Tens of thousands of children joined these clubs and would pledge to never touch a drop of alcohol; They enlisted in what was called The Cold Water Army. Women joined together and led the reform movements and centered themselves in the struggle against alcohol. For the next 50 years women would lead temperance movement. Alcohol was used as a scapegoat: “It was blamed for prostitution, violence, poverty, and imperfect husbands and marriages” (Shellton). Protests became violent, which brought attention to the temperance movement. All 46 states started believing that just one drop of alcohol could destroy not just men, but their families too. Eastern America was considered “wet” because they were against the prohibition of alcohol. The south and west were “dry” because they were for prohibition. More states started to accept prohibition and in order for an amendment to pass, 36 states had to vote dry. In 1919, Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the 18th amendment and it would go in affect one year later. It was that day, on January 16th, 1919, that the U.S. was voted
Another hope for the eighteenth amendment was to reduce the crime and death rate. Many people felt that drunkenness was the cause of many of the nation's crimes. Prohibitionists felt very passionately about their cause and were often called “dry’s.” They felt their battle was justified and that, “it is manifest destiny that alcohol will not survive the scrutiny,”(Darrow and Yarros, 20).
Although the temperance movement was concerned with the habitual drunk, its primary goal was total abstinence and the elimination of liquor. With the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the well-organized and powerful political organizations, utilizing no holds barred political tactics, successfully accomplished their goal. Prohibition became the law of the land on January 16, 1920; the manufacturing, importation, and sale of alcohol was no longer legal in the United States. Through prohibition, America embarked on what became labeled “the Nobel Experiment.” However, instead of having social redeeming values as ordained, prohibition had the opposite effect of its intended purpose, becoming a catastrophic failure.
Temperance reformers were mostly women and religious leaders. Lyman Beecher, a well known preacher and temperance leader during this time, talked about how intemperance was destroying our nation. He stated that intemperance was,”…continually transferring larger and larger bodies of men, from the class of contributors to the national income, to the class of worthless consumers...,” which meant that more men were taking away from the national then putting in. Some reformers even went as far as making illustrations showing how starting at a simple glass of this “demon rum” could lead to death or even suicide. Reformers such as Henry Clay Work wrote songs that at times placed a young daughter asking her father to come home to take care of their family. Women also played a very important role in the temperance movement by protesting to government to make alcohol illegal.
“By 1830, the average American over 15 years old consumed nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol a year – three times as much as we drink today – and alcohol abuse (primarily by men) was wreaking havoc on the lives of many.” In the 1800s millions of Americans took a pledge to refrain from drinking alcohol. This was known as the Temperance Movement. The temperance movement was a reaction to the increase of alcohol consumption throughout the nation. The opposition to drinking originally stemmed from heath and religious reformers. These groups were crucial to American society for their efforts to tighten social controls. During this era, there were multiple citizens who believed some individuals were living unethically. “These people feared that God would no longer bless the United States and that these ungodly and unscrupulous people posed a threat to America's political system. To survive, the American republic, these people believed, needed virtuous citizens.” Due to these
Many may say that the Antebellum Temperance Movement was primarily motivated by religious moralism. I tend to take that stance as well. The Antebellum Temperance Movement of the 18th century was focused around the idea that people, mostly men, should abstain from alcohol if they could not drink the spirits in moderation. In this era, many women had suffered greatly because their loved ones would imbibe excessively leaving them short on money, food, and even shelter which left many impoverished and unable to care for their families. Additionally, the excessive consumption of alcohol led to health care issues, crime and in the end, destitution. The first author, W.J. Rorabaugh, is a proponent on the side of how Christian ministers, “portrayed liquor as the tool of the devil and develop temperance societies as socialization institutions to ease social tensions and anxieties that contributed to alcohol consumption,” (Madaras, L.; SoRelle, J. Pg. 256) Appositionally, John J. Rumbarger opposes by stating that, “the nineteenth–century temperance reform was the product of the pro-capitalist market economy whose entrepreneurial elite led the way toward abstinence and prohibitionist campaigns. In order to guarantee the availability for a more productive workforce,” (Madaras, L.; SoRelle, J. Pg. 256). I agree with W.J. Rorabaugh that during the Antebellum Temperance Movement, the church’s played an enormous role in prohibiting alcohol consumption because it was the “tool of the devil”.
The desire to control alcohol consumption, or advocate temperance, has been a goal of humanity throughout countless periods of history. Many countries have organized temperance movements, including Australia, Canada, Britain, Denmark, Poland, and of course, the United States. The American temperance movement was the most widespread reform movement of the 19th century, culminating in laws that completely banned the sale of all alcoholic beverages. The movement progressed from its humble local roots to nationwide organizations with millions of members and large amounts of political power. The growth of the temperance movement resulted from the changes in society between the original American settlers and the post-Revolutionary War citizens.
The Temperance Movement was aimed to promote abstinence from alcohol, to criticize those who consumed alcohol, and political influence was often used as well. It focused on abolishing alcohol consumption completely. Political influence was important because it led to laws that limited and regulated alcohol that eventually led to prohibition. “Temperance reformers typically were evangelical Protestants who regarded alcoholic beverages as harmful and even sinful for the individual drinker and for society at large. Supposedly, drink destroyed families and reputations and brought about poverty, disorder, and crime.” (Fahey, 2013) This movement stated that alcohol was dangerous for everyone. They believed that all individuals who drank would lose control of their drinking habits and would start encountering problems as a result of drinking. The Temperance Movement was just the beginning of what would eventually become the Eighteenth Amendment of the United States. The movement was be...
Small-scale legislation had been passed in several states, but no national laws had been enacted. On January 29, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by Congress; it banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol; however the consumption of alcohol remained legal.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The 1920's was a time of change in the United States. “The Roaring Twenties” had an outstanding impact on the economy, social standards and everyday life. It was a time for positive results in the consumer goods industry and American families, because of higher wages, shorter working hours, and manufacturing was up 60% in consumer goods. But it was also a time of adversity and opposition for others, such as immigrants and farmers. Immigrants had lots of competition when they were looking for work and they weren't treated fairly by Americans, depending on where they came from and what they believed.
dry. This meant that there was no legal use of alcohol in those twenty five states.
Roaring Twenties” is a phrase often used when describing this period of time in North America, the
The temperance movement at the time used a minimum drinking age to gradually bring about the ban of alcohol altogether. In 1919 the temperance movement got what they wanted and the 18th Amendment was created banning the sale of alcohol in America. This ultimately failed, resulting in increased gang violence and bootlegging. In 1933, due to a change of public opinion, the ban was lifted with what is called the 21st Amendment. After prohibition, what was left of the temperance movement was to make sure that a minimum drinking age remained.
On 16th January 1920, one of the most common personal habits and customs of American society came to a halt. The eighteenth amendment was implemented, making all importing, exporting, transporting, selling and manufacturing of intoxicating liquors absolutely prohibited. This law was created in the hope of achieving the reduction of alcohol consumption, which in turn would reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and improve both the economy, and the quality of life for all Americans. These goals are far from achieved. The prohibition amendment of the 1920's was ineffective because it was unenforceable.
As well as the League, many women’s organizations such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union supported prohibition. They saw alcohol as a destructive force in families and marriages. These groups began to succeed in enacting local prohibition laws, and eventually the campaign for prohibition became a national effort. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union pledged to end the use of alcohol in the United States, but they achieved less than its reputation suggest. Although it aroused women’s support for Prohibition and opened doors to political opportunities for women, it accomplished little to move the nation toward a ban on alcohol.
“In 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol, was ratified. It went into effect on January 16, 1920” . On that ex...