Lena Savoie
The Anti-Saloon League, a powerful political force, was formed in 1893 to prohibit the sale of alcohol. The League was successful in passing a national ban on alcoholic beverages, which was in effect from 1920 to 1933. This period, known as Prohibition, was a response to the sharp rise in alcohol consumption and the deterioration of drinking behavior that had become prevalent in the early 19th century. The temperance movement, which advocated for moderation and abstinence from alcohol, gained momentum during this time, with the support of religious groups and women's organizations such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union. While Prohibition was intended to reduce alcohol consumption and improve society, its effectiveness is disputed, and it gave rise to bootlegging, speakeasies, and gangsterism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of prohibition | 1920 to 1933 |
| Amendment | Eighteenth Amendment |
| Time limit for states to pass the amendment | 7 years |
| Year the American Temperance Society was founded | 1826 |
| Year the Women's Christian Temperance Union was founded | 1874 |
| Year the Anti-Saloon League was formed | 1893 |
| Average alcohol consumption per American in 1830 | 7 gallons of pure alcohol per year |
| Average alcohol consumption per American in 1830 (in bottles of hard liquor per week) | 1.7 |
| Average alcohol consumption per American today | 2.3 gallons of pure alcohol per year |
| Number of local temperance societies in several US states by 1833 | 6,000 |
| Year of the first state prohibition law | 1846 |
| Countries that followed the US in implementing national prohibition | Canada, Norway, Finland, and India |
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What You'll Learn
The American Temperance Society and the Women's Christian Temperance Union
The American Temperance Society (ATS), also known as the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance, was established on February 13, 1826, in Boston, Massachusetts. Within three years, the ATS had spread across the country, with 2,220 local chapters and 170,000 members who had pledged to abstain from drinking distilled beverages (though wine and beer were still permitted, and alcohol was permitted for medicinal use). The society was most successful in the northern states, possibly due to its association with the abolitionist movement.
By the 1850s, the temperance movement had successfully combined individual conversions, political pressure, and legislative measures to pass several local laws prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol. However, some members of the ATS began to press for the mandatory prohibition of alcohol rather than voluntary abstinence. This shift in focus may have contributed to the eventual passage of the Volstead Act, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic liquors nationwide.
The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was another influential organization in the temperance movement. It was formed in 1874 and grew rapidly, adopting Willard's "Do Everything" philosophy. This meant that the WCTU campaigned not only for abstinence and the prohibition of alcohol but also for a variety of other reforms, including woman suffrage, protective purity legislation, better working conditions for labor, and anti-polygamy laws. The WCTU agitated for women's suffrage, especially in the wake of the sacrifices of World War I, and formed alliances with prominent women's rights activists such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
The WCTU also conducted educational campaigns in schools across the nation, teaching the dangers of alcohol abuse. The organization operated at an international level, with affiliates in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, India, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. The WCTU's efforts to abolish the liquor trade and reduce alcohol consumption were often accompanied by religious rituals, such as the White Ribbon Recruit ceremony, in which babies are dedicated to the cause of temperance through a white ribbon tied to their wrists.
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The Anti-Saloon League and Wayne Wheeler
The Anti-Saloon League (ASL), founded in 1893 in Oberlin, Ohio, was a key component of the Progressive Era, drawing support from Protestant ministers and their congregations. It was strongest in the South and rural North, and its influence spread rapidly. The ASL became a powerful political force, employing propaganda, religion, and political coercion to make alcohol a wedge issue in elections. The organization's goal was to pass a national ban on alcoholic beverages, with a particular focus on legislation and how legislators voted.
Wayne Wheeler, an American attorney, was the longtime leader and general counsel of the Anti-Saloon League. He was a native of Brookfield Township in Trumbull County, Ohio, and a childhood experience with an intoxicated hired hand gave him a lifelong aversion to alcohol. Wheeler joined the ASL in 1894 as a field organizer and studied law while working for the league. He earned his LL.B. degree from Western Reserve University in 1898 and became a leader of the ASL in 1902.
Wheeler developed a method of activism called "Wheelerism", which focused on a single issue and used mass media to persuade politicians that there was widespread public support for the ASL's position. He also employed direct persuasion tactics such as threats to withdraw campaign endorsements and endorse and finance opponents. Under Wheeler's leadership, the ASL became the most successful single-issue lobbying organization in American history, forming alliances with any constituency that shared its goal of a constitutional amendment banning alcohol.
Wheeler played a major role in the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. His refusal to compromise on enforcing prohibition, including opposing the use of non-fatal substances to deter consumption, began to change the public's perception of the ASL. As enforcement became more challenging, Wheeler's influence waned, and he retired in 1927.
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Alcohol abuse and its societal impact
Alcohol abuse has far-reaching consequences, impacting individuals, families, communities, and society as a whole. It is associated with a range of health, social, and economic issues that can affect not only the drinker but also those around them. Alcohol misuse accounts for about 3.3 million deaths annually, contributing to 6% of all deaths globally.
Alcohol abuse can have detrimental effects on family life, including intimate partner violence, financial difficulties, impaired decision-making skills, and child neglect and abuse. It can impair an individual's ability to function effectively as a parent or partner, leading to negative consequences for their children and partners. Alcohol abuse is also linked to mental health issues within families, such as anxiety, fear, and depression. Additionally, it can result in financial strain due to alcohol purchase, medical treatment, and lost wages, which can have a significant impact on the family's economic stability.
On a societal level, alcohol abuse contributes to increased crime, drunk driving accidents, and issues related to law enforcement and criminal justice. It affects the workplace, with alcohol-dependent individuals taking more frequent sick leaves and being more prone to injury-related absences. The economic costs associated with alcohol abuse are substantial, including direct costs for addressing its harmful effects and indirect costs due to lost productivity. In the United States alone, excessive alcohol use costs the country almost a quarter of a trillion dollars annually.
Alcohol abuse also intersects with socioeconomic status, with individuals of higher socioeconomic status (SES) tending to drink more frequently, while those of lower SES tend to consume larger quantities. This disparity can further exacerbate existing social inequalities and contribute to health disparities between different socioeconomic groups.
Historically, the negative impacts of alcohol abuse have led to the emergence of temperance movements and prohibitionist efforts. In the United States, the first anti-alcohol movement arose in the 1830s and 1840s, with the formation of the American Temperance Society in 1826, followed by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, which sought to ban alcohol and improve public morals. The Anti-Saloon League, under the leadership of Wayne Wheeler, became a powerful political force, successfully lobbying for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. These efforts culminated in the Volstead Act, which imposed a national ban on alcoholic beverages. While the overall effects of Prohibition are debated, it did lead to a substantial decline in alcohol consumption during that period.
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The Eighteenth Amendment and its ratification
The Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification in 1917. The amendment stipulated a seven-year time limit for states to approve it, and enough states ratified it within just 13 months. This amendment was the culmination of a long history of temperance movements and efforts to curb alcohol consumption in the United States.
The first serious anti-alcohol movement in the United States grew out of a fervor for reform that swept the nation in the 1830s and 1840s. During this time, the average American over 15 years old consumed nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol per year, which is about three times as much as the average American consumes today. The excessive alcohol consumption, particularly by men, was having devastating effects on families and communities. Middle-class women, who were considered the moral authorities of their households, rejected alcohol consumption as a threat to the home.
The American Temperance Society (ATS) was formed in 1826 to convince people to abstain from drinking. This society helped initiate the temperance movement and served as a foundation for later groups. By 1833, there were 6,000 local temperance societies in several U.S. states, and the movement continued to grow and diversify. The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), formed in the late 19th century, became a particularly influential force in the movement, lobbying for local laws restricting alcohol and creating anti-alcohol educational campaigns.
In the early 20th century, the Anti-Saloon League, led by Wayne Wheeler, emerged as a powerful political force in the push for Prohibition. The league successfully combined propaganda, religion, and political coercion to make alcohol a wedge issue in elections. They allied with various constituencies and formed alliances with women's suffrage leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who saw alcohol as a threat to women's rights and well-being. Tea merchants and soda fountain manufacturers also supported prohibition, believing it would increase sales of their products.
The Eighteenth Amendment was passed in both chambers of Congress, and the subsequent ratification by the states occurred within the stipulated time frame. However, despite the legislation, millions of Americans continued to drink liquor illegally, leading to bootlegging, speakeasies, and a rise in gangsterism. The overall effects of Prohibition on alcohol consumption and society are still disputed, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's election in 1932 was partly based on his promise to end Prohibition, leading to the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to repeal it.
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The effects of Prohibition
Prohibition was enacted in the United States in 1920 with the aim of protecting individuals and families from the "scourge of drunkenness" and improving society. The consumption of alcohol, particularly by men, had been wreaking havoc on families, with women and children often left without financial support. The temperance movement, which began in the early 1800s, viewed alcohol as inherently evil and a cause of violence, laziness, and poverty.
The economic consequences of Prohibition were largely negative. The closing of breweries, distilleries, and saloons resulted in thousands of job losses, not just for those in the alcohol industry but also in related trades such as barrel-making, trucking, and waiting. The loss of tax revenue from alcohol sales was significant, with states like New York deriving up to 75% of their revenue from liquor taxes. The federal government lost a total of $11 billion in tax revenue while spending over $300 million on enforcement.
Prohibition also led to a rise in organised crime and corruption. Crime syndicates took advantage of the opportunity to produce and sell alcohol illegally, and many law enforcement officers were tempted by bribes or the chance to profit from bootlegging themselves. The trade in unregulated alcohol had serious consequences for public health, with 1000 Americans dying each year from consuming tainted liquor.
The social effects of Prohibition were mixed. Some research suggests that alcohol consumption declined during this period, while other research indicates that it did not reduce consumption in the long term. While some individuals abided by the new laws, others continued to drink in secret venues and clubs, and resentment towards the ban grew, particularly among the working class and immigrant populations.
Overall, Prohibition had unintended consequences and was ultimately repealed in 1932 when Franklin Roosevelt was elected on a platform that included ending Prohibition.
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Frequently asked questions
The Anti-Saloon League was formed in 1893 and became a powerful political force in passing a national ban on alcoholic beverages.
The Anti-Saloon League, under the leadership of Wayne Wheeler, became the most successful single-issue lobbying organization in American history. They combined propaganda, religion, and political coercion to make alcohol a wedge issue in elections.
Prohibition, which was in effect from 1920 to 1933, legally prevented the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Despite this, millions of Americans drank liquor illegally, leading to bootlegging, speakeasies, and a rise in gangsterism.
There were several reasons for the push for Prohibition. Firstly, alcohol abuse, particularly by men, was causing social issues such as domestic violence and saloon-based political corruption. Secondly, the temperance movement, which advocated for moderation or abstinence from alcohol, gained momentum in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly among religious groups. Finally, factory owners supported temperance as the new work habits of industrial workers conflicted with alcohol consumption.
