Cecily Zamora
The temperance movement, which began in the early 1800s, led to the creation and implementation of several laws aimed at curbing alcohol consumption and promoting abstinence. The movement, which had a strong religious and moral undertone, argued that alcohol abuse led to poverty, domestic violence, and other social issues. The first wave of the movement (1825-1855) saw the emergence of local and statewide temperance groups, with Maine passing the Maine Law in 1851, banning the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, becoming the first dry state. The post-Civil War era witnessed a revival of the movement, with groups like the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Anti-Saloon League (ASL) advocating for prohibition. The ultimate triumph of the movement came with the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. However, this law was short-lived, as it was repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933 due to its negative impacts and the rise of criminal activity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of law passing | 1851, 1893, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1926, 1932, 1933, 1989 |
| Location | Maine, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Ontario, United States |
| Law details | Prohibited the sale of spirits in quantities of more than 15 gallons; banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages; prohibited the sales of alcoholic beverages with more than 2.5% alcohol; prohibited the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" |
| Other details | The first international temperance organization was the Order of Good Templars, formed in 1851 in Utica, New York; the Eighteenth Amendment was passed by Congress in 1917, ratified in 1919, and went into effect in 1920; the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union was formed in 1883 |
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What You'll Learn
The Eighteenth Amendment
The temperance movement's first successes were at the local and state levels. For example, in 1838, temperance groups in Maine pressured the state legislature to pass the Fifteen Gallon Law, prohibiting the sale of spirits in quantities less than 15 gallons. While this law was repealed within two years, it demonstrated the growing influence of the movement. In 1851, Maine passed another law, often referred to as the "Maine law", which banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, making Maine the first "dry" state.
As the movement gained momentum, it spread beyond the United States to other parts of the world, including Canada, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, Australasia, India, Africa, and South America. The first international temperance organization was the Order of Good Templars, formed in 1851 in Utica, New York. The movement also gave rise to the Prohibition Party, founded in 1869, which played a crucial role in advocating for a constitutional amendment banning alcohol.
However, the triumph of the Eighteenth Amendment was short-lived. Many Americans continued to make and consume alcohol illegally, leading to a rise in bootlegging and organized crime. The amendment ultimately proved unsustainable, and in 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment was passed, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment and once again legalizing the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol in the United States.
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Maine Law
The Maine Law, also known as the Maine Liquor Law, was passed on June 2, 1851, in Maine. It was the first statutory implementation of the developing temperance movement in the United States. The law prohibited the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, with an exception for "medicinal, mechanical, or manufacturing purposes".
The Maine Law was crafted by temperance activist Neal Dow, who was the mayor of Portland, Maine, at the time. The law was the culmination of a growing temperance movement in the state, with the world's first Total Abstinence Society formed in Portland in 1815, and a statewide temperance group established in 1834. These groups scored a significant victory in 1838 with the passage of the Fifteen Gallon Law, which effectively restricted the sale of hard liquor to the wealthy. However, this law was repealed within two years.
The Maine Law gained recognition not just across the United States but also internationally. By 1855, twelve states had followed Maine's lead and enacted total prohibition. These "dry" states, as they came to be known, stood in contrast to ""wet" states, where no prohibition laws existed. The Maine Law inspired similar legislation in other states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont in 1852; Michigan in 1853; Connecticut in 1854; and several others in 1855.
The law was unpopular among many working-class people and immigrants, and opposition to it turned violent in Portland on June 2, 1855, during the Portland Rum Riot. Despite this opposition, the Maine Law represented a significant milestone in the temperance movement, reflecting the growing influence of religious leaders, women's rights activists, and social reformers seeking to curb alcohol consumption and its associated social issues.
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State Dispensaries
The temperance movement, which began in the early 1800s, sought to curb alcohol consumption in the United States. The movement was driven by health, social, and religious concerns, and it gave rise to various organizations and laws aimed at reducing alcohol intake or prohibiting it entirely. One notable approach that emerged during this period was the establishment of state dispensaries.
The idea of state dispensaries was influenced by the Gothenburg Plan, which allowed local governments to regulate the liquor trade. In South Carolina, this concept was put to its most rigorous test when "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman became governor in 1893. Tillman, facing a voter base that largely supported prohibition, struck a compromise by establishing a state board of control to oversee alcohol sales. A state dispensary commissioner, appointed by the governor and approved by the board, was tasked with managing these operations and ensuring the moral character of the enterprise.
While the specific details of each dispensary's operations may vary, the underlying principle was to separate the sale of alcohol from private profit. This approach was not without its challenges and controversies. Critics argued that some individuals were impervious to moral suasion and continued to pursue alcohol despite the reform efforts. Additionally, enforcement of temperance laws varied across states, and creative methods were often employed to circumvent prohibition, as seen in Maine's experience with the 1851 prohibition law.
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Temperance Instruction
The temperance movement in the United States emerged in the early 1800s, advocating for alcohol abstinence to improve the health and well-being of Americans. The movement, driven by religious and moral sentiments, aimed to address the social issues caused by excessive drinking, such as poverty and domestic violence. The first wave of the temperance movement, from 1825 to 1855, led to a significant reduction in the consumption of hard liquor.
The movement's early reformers, including Benjamin Rush, who wrote the influential tract "An Inquiry Into the Effects of Ardent Spirits Upon the Human Body and Mind" in 1784, promoted temperance as a virtue. They encouraged moderation, suggesting that small amounts of alcohol could be beneficial. However, by the 1830s, the average American over 15 years old was consuming nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol annually, leading to concerns about the social and health impacts of excessive drinking.
The movement gained momentum through moral persuasion and the formation of local and statewide temperance groups. These groups played a crucial role in pressuring legislatures to pass laws restricting alcohol sales, such as the Fifteen Gallon Law in Maine in 1838, which prohibited the sale of spirits in quantities less than fifteen gallons. While this law was repealed within two years, it demonstrated the growing influence of the temperance movement.
The movement also recognised the importance of education and legislation in promoting temperance. The Scientific Temperance Instruction Movement published textbooks, promoted alcohol education, and held lectures. In 1881, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) began lobbying for legally mandated temperance instruction in schools. By 1901, federal law required "scientific temperance" instruction in all public schools, federal territories, and military schools. These lessons stressed the dangers of alcohol and perpetuated anti-drinking propaganda, claiming, for instance, that a single drink could lead to alcoholism.
The push for prohibition legislation divided the movement between moderates advocating for restricted alcohol sales and radicals demanding total abstinence. The radicals, including groups like the Anti-Saloon League, dominated many of the largest temperance organisations after the 1830s, and their efforts led to the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1917, which established nationwide prohibition. However, this amendment was short-lived, as it was repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933 due to its negative impacts, including the rise of organised crime and the creation of unhealthy drinking habits.
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International Prohibition Confederation
The International Prohibition Confederation was founded in 1909 at a world prohibition conference in London. It was a result of the international scope and organised cooperation of women that characterised the modern temperance movement. The first international temperance organisation was the Order of Good Templars, formed in 1851 in Utica, New York. Over time, it spread to the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Scandinavia, several other European countries, Australasia, India, parts of Africa, and South America.
The temperance movement, which began in the early 1800s, aimed to curb drinking and improve the health and well-being of Americans through alcohol abstinence. The movement was driven by concerns about social issues, religious sentiments, and practical health considerations, finding appeal among many middle-class reformers, especially women. Women played a significant role in the movement, with prominent voices such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Webb Hayes actively supporting temperance. The movement also intersected with other social causes, including women's rights and the Progressive movement.
The movement's early advocates encouraged the consumption of less intoxicating beverages like beer or wine, believing that small amounts of alcohol could be beneficial to health. However, by the 1830s, excessive drinking was rampant, with the average American over 15 consuming at least seven gallons of alcohol annually. This led to concerns about poverty, domestic violence, and unreliability in the labour force.
As the movement evolved, it split into two factions: moderates who allowed some drinking and radicals demanding total abstinence, and voluntarists relying on moral persuasion alone versus prohibitionists promoting laws to restrict or ban alcohol. The latter group dominated many of the largest temperance organisations after the 1830s, with temperance becoming synonymous with prohibition. The push for legal measures resulted in various laws being enacted, such as the Maine law in 1851, which banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, making Maine the first "dry" state.
However, the temperance movement faced challenges, including criticism for its inability to address alcoholism as a sin and the high rate of men returning to drinking. Additionally, enforcement of prohibition laws proved difficult, and the movement was internally divided by differing views on the best approach to prohibition. Despite these challenges, the movement achieved significant influence, and by the mid-1850s, it had spread throughout the United States, with various groups advocating for prohibition laws and educational reforms to curb alcohol consumption.
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Frequently asked questions
The first law created after the Temperance Movement was the Maine law, passed in 1851, which banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages.
The first international temperance organisation appears to have been the Order of Good Templars, formed in 1851 in Utica, New York.
The Eighteenth Amendment, passed by Congress in 1917, ratified in 1919, and went into effect at 12:01 am on January 17, 1920, was the most significant federal law resulting from the Temperance Movement. It banned the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors".
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