Women's Temperance Movement

What was the Women’s Temperance Movement in the United States?

The Women's Temperance Movement was a social effort to either reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption on the basis of alcohol being a motivating factor in societal problems prevalent at the time. The initiative was born in the 19th century, but impacted legislation until the 20th century.

• At the time alcohol was seen as a direct contributor to the main societal ills of the time;
  • domestic abuse
  • child abuse
  • other forms of maltreatment.
• The Women’s Temperance Movement was the first national and later worldwide organization formed by women to address issues seen as key for women.

The movement became political as well as moral and was a key issue presented in elections both locally and nationally. The Women’s Temperance movement in the United States gained momentum in the 1800s and culminated in alcohol prohibition in 1919. The Women’s Temperance movement formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, a nationwide organization of women striving for societal change.

Fig. 1: Temperance Songs used by the WCTU.

Women's Christian Temperance Movement: Prohibition

• Prohibition became law through a constitutional amendment in 1919. Prohibition is the ban on the sale and manufacturing of intoxicating liquors, i.e., alcohol.

Nationwide Prohibition was the overall legislative goal of the Women’s Temperance Movement in their efforts to curb societal ills they believed to be caused by alcohol. The Prohibition Party was a political party that was uncommon for the time, including women in prominent roles, deferring to their experience in the preexisting temperance movement.

Leaders in the Women’s Temperance Movement

The table below summarizes some leaders of the Women's Temperance Movement and their contributions.

Fig. 2: Frances Willard.

Unconventional Methods of Protest during the Women’s Temperance Movement

Carry Nation was a part of the Women’s Temperance Movement, operating on the fringe of the conventional movement. Her form of protest consisted of wielding a hatchet and destroying barrooms in her resident state of Kansas.

In 1890, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of legislation allowing for the importing of alcohol in its "original packaging." Nation’s response to the now flourishing saloons in the state was to storm the establishments and destroy as much as possible. She believed that the illegality of the saloons in Kansas (as per state law), allowed private citizens to enter and uphold the law.

In her view, upholding the law was destroying illegal establishments and stock. Her escapades saw her enter the governor's office in Topeka to press her cause.

Fig. 3: Carry Nation with a hatchet and Bible.

Women's Temperance Movement: 1920s

During and after WWI, women in the United States took on new roles which were at odds with the pro-family values undertones of the Women's Temperance Movement. "The New Woman" lived by the motto of being able to do anything a man could do. The most well-known form is the 1920s Flapper.

Flappers were counterculture women of the Roaring Twenties, who challenged feminine stereotypes of the era, dabbling in activities that previously were restricted to men, like smoking and drinking. They usually wore short hair, and short hemlines, and were more open about sexuality, social clubs, and urban life.

Fig. 4: The Flapper Fanny Cartoon.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was formed in 1874 with the main principle of advancing temperance as legislative action. In the beginning, while led by union president Annie Turner Wittenmyer, the temperance movement was focused solely, on the inclusion of women’s suffrage.

In 1879, Wittenmyer was replaced by Frances Willard, who believed suffrage was a key part of achieving prohibition and advancing women’s position in society. Willard broadened the scope of the WCTU to include organizing for women’s suffrage, along with the original goal. In 1883, the World WCTU was formed and in 1891 Willard was elected president. Willard also expanded the platform of the WCTU into working conditions and prison reform. The WCTU made powerful enemies in the alcohol industry that would later detract from the suffrage movement. After Willard died in 1898, the WCTU stepped away from platforms besides prohibition.

Women's Suffrage and the Temperance Movement

The temperance movement progressed alongside women’s suffrage. The organization used in the temperance movement evolved into the political and social efforts to attain women's right to vote. The temperance movement was a starting point for women to organize themselves beyond their local communities.

The temperance movement was the first national organization women were included, and this provided a plan to follow to achieve other social progress. Temperance and women’s suffrage were both platforms of social change. Not all temperance movement participators were also interested in supporting women’s suffrage. The inclusion of women’s suffrage in the platform of the WCTU was not seen as wholly beneficial for either cause. The temperance movement made staunch enemies of the alcohol industry and with suffrage included in their platform, the alcohol industry also opposed women’s suffrage.

Women's Temperance Movement and Prohibition

Despite the efforts of the passionate women behind the Women's Temperance movement, federal prohibition was repealed with the 21st amendment. Prohibition was really hard to enforce. There was an increased demand for more alcohol. There were also issues with the government. Not all prohibition laws were the same, some enforcement officers were dishonest, and the government struggled to fund enforcement.

Over time, historians have developed different views on Prohibition. Before the 1960s, historians used to view supporters of prohibition as those who tried to change the morals of the country and failed. Over time, the opinion of those behind the temperance movement has shifted. Historians became more sympathetic. Others saw the temperance movement as an extension of progressivism.