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Perspectives and Reactions to Temperance

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Perspectives and Reactions to Temperance

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The Temperance Movement, caused by large religious sentiment, was a crucial part in U.S. history for the development of the nation. This movement was caused by recent reforms and Jacksonian democracy in the U.S.

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Led by religious groups and women, the Temperance movement was generally well received in the U.S.

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Most in the U.S. benefited from the Temperance movement since it kept individuals from prohibiting the nation's forward movement.

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The temperance movement brought success to the economy as alcohol was not preventing the U.S. from developing, and left a lasting image influencing the nation to this day.

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The Jacksonian era brought about many changes that would cause the Temperance movement. People in the North, who were industrializing as wage labor grew, supported temperance because drunk employees were less productive and drunk employers were uncooperative. The impact of the Second Great Awakening during the Jacksonian era also played a big role as the new idea of being able to earn your way into heaven gave many a purpose to join the temperance movement. This was because the overindulgence of alcohol and its consequences would prohibit people from earning their way into heaven.

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Due to the recent Second Great Awakening, religious sentiment played a huge part in the Temperance Movement as many religious figures such as Lyman Beecher supported abstinence from alcohol. This was in part due to the fact that a lot of people thought alcohol went against God and abusing it would make it hard to get into heaven. Such religious groups would also have no reason to oppose temperance as they would not be restricted anymore than their beliefs already restricted them.

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The increased productivity of the nation was seen as workers who were a part of the Temperance movement stopped living their lives drunk, thus working better. In addition to the better situation in jobs the situation in the household also improved. As men joined the temperance movement, the consequences of a drunkard, including poverty and domestic abuse, drastically decreased. The decrease in violence was seen as a good sign by many as people who seem to be violent in their nature are less appealing and easy to work with. These effects helped grow the religious identity of the nation. As people saw positive effects in the aftermath of an originally religious movement religion they connected it more with the success of the nation and its importance in its development.

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Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) was a key figure in the Temperance Movement. A preacher from connecticut, he was one of the first leaders in the movement for total alcohol abstinence. As a part of his "Six Sermons on Intemperance" he spoke about the role of religion in temperance and how alcohol abuse was against God.

"Men who are mighty to consume strong drink, are unfit members of that kingdom which consisteth not in 'meat and drink,' but in "'righteousness and peace.'" (Beecher).

Here Beecher can be seen referencing how anybody that abuses alcohol is unfit to be in heaven. This represents how important religion was in considering intemperance as many people would have wanted to go to heaven.

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Most of the people that abused alcohol were white men. Since they would be judged for drinking and even may not be able to have alcohol legally, some men opposed the movement so that they could have more freedom. Some of them may have been addicted, too, which would make it harder for them to support a movement that sought to get rid of alcohol as they could not just stop their addiction by will.

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The temperance movement has had many modern day impacts. The clearest being that the Temperance movement led into the Prohibition movement which would lead to two Constitutional Amendments and great issues. More recently in the government, the military has seen a spike in alcohol consumption as many are drinking more than the recommended limit per person. This has caused issues similar to those of the drunk workers during the movement as jobs are slowed due to intoxication. To fix this problem the government has instituted groups to help with mental and addiction issues instead of leaving soldiers to struggle on their own. In addition, they have promoted a healthier environment specifically pointing to people in higher positions to support the troops and moral in the military.

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Amelia Bloomer (1818-1894), a temperance leader, once said,

“It is woman that speaks through The Lily… Intemperance is the great foe to her peace and happiness. It is that above all that has made her Home desolate and beggared her offspring… Surely, she has the right to wield her pen for its Suppression. Surely, she may without throwing aside the modest refinements which so much become her sex, use her influence to lead her fellow mortals from the destroyer’s path.”

This quote clearly represents the impact the intemperance of men had on women and the household. It shows how women had to take the lead, especially as their husbands were destroying the home as they returned drunk. As leaders of the household women had to keep it together, and with alcohol as the leading problem the obvious move was to join and/or lead the temperance movement.

Amelia Bloomer (spartacus-educational.com)

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Biography of Amelia Bloomer. With the encouragement of her feminist friends, Bloomer started her own bi-weekly newspaper, The Lily. Bloomer used the journal to promote the causes of woman’s suffrage, temperance, marriage law reform and higher education for women. Last updated on 30th May 2022.

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At the time America was experiencing a rise in domestic violence and many had health problems as a result of alcohol abuse. This caused many women to take part in the Temperance Movement. Women did not have many rights at the time and so they depended on their husbands. Since abuse made their lives much harder, women had to choose to either let their husbands continue to be violent or do something about it. Naturally most women chose to support temperance as less alcohol abuse would lead to less domestic violence. There was also the fact that men were losing their jobs due to alcohol which would hurt their wives as they would not be able to make money otherwise.

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The impact of the Temperance Movement can be characterized by the benefits it withheld to both genders. This can be seen through how as a result of the Temperance Movement, women were empowered and were able to take control of households liberating their husbands and their families from the consequences of alcohol abuse. This newfound voice pushed these women to stand up for other reforms including one for their own rights.

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Image from 1848 of a drunk man attacking his wife in a disheveled home.

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This image was made in 1848 to represent the issues of overindulgence in alcohol and intemperance. It helps to develop the fears of the people of the bad image that the U.S. would represent if nothing was done about alcohol abuse.

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For the most part, individuals of all economic backgrounds were able to benefit as a result of the impact of Temperance Movement due to the widespread success that it had. Temperance benefited the poor due to the fact that alcohol was cheap and detrimental towards their ability to work and make a living. Additionally, after the success of the Temperance Movement, individuals of low economic class were able to climb the economic ladder and help themselves out of poverty. However, due to the fact that poor Americans utilized alcohol as a business to facilitate an income, they had lost this income as a result of temperance.

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The impact of the Temperance Movement can be seen to have had an effect on overly religious groups which most likely grew as a result of this movement. One of the main arguments for temperance was that alcohol abuse went against God and several individuals did not want to risk not getting into heaven over this.

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Temperance: Abstinence from alcoholic drinks

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Temperance: Abstinence from alcoholic drinks

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Beecher, Lyman. "Six Sermons on Intemperance." 1827. Digital Public Library of America, Digitcal Public Library of America, dp.la/primary-source-sets/women-and-the-temperance-movement/sources/1774. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024. Speech.

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"Drunkard Attacks Wife." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources, edited by K. Lee Lerner et al., Gale, 2006, pp. 40-42. Gale in Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2688300028/UHIC?u=west24914&sid=bookmark-UHIC&xid=7ab064ec. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024.

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This graph accounts for just the alcohol related deaths during the pandemic. Not to mention those who became trapped in an addiction.

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Another current issue was COVID. During this time, especially during isolation when depression and mental health issues rose the most alcohol abuse rose along with them. Many found alcohol to be their way of coping with their problems during isolation, and this habit turned into an addiction they couldn't exit when their problems began to be solved. Stockton University held a poll and in this poll they found nearly one in five residents said their alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic and that for 40% of them the amount of consumption has not changed. This brought alcohol abuse to the forefront similar to the issues in the Jacksonian era that brought temperance and the problems of intemperance to the forefront for people to be aware and make a change for the better.

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Carry Nation - a later leader of the Temperance Movement that would contribute to the beginnings of the Prohibition movement

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Temperance movement | Definition, Leaders, Facts, & Significance

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Temperance movement, movement dedicated to promoting moderation and, more often, complete abstinence in the use of intoxicating liquor. The earliest temperance organizations seem to have been those founded at Saratoga, New York, in 1808 and in Massachusetts in 1813.

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Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "temperance movement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/temperance-movement. Accessed 6 March 2024.

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Belleville News Democrat. 31 Dec. 2000. America's Historical Newspapers, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-K12&docref=image/v2%3A114CEEB0320B0130%40EANX-K12-150FFF8D4302690E%402451910-150FFE759224B26C%40135. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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Buckingham, Kimberly, Dr. "Military Psychologist Talks Facts, Prevention of Substance, Alcohol Misuse among Service Members." U.S. Army, 21 Mar. 2023, www.army.mil/article/265016/military_psychologist_talks_facts_prevention_of_substance_alcohol_misuse_among_service_members. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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Carlson, Douglas W. "Temperance Movement." Dictionary of American History, edited by Stanley I. Kutler, 3rd ed., vol. 8, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003, pp. 78-81. Gale in Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3401804156/UHIC?u=west24914&sid=bookmark-UHIC&xid=ead1b1f6. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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Kauffman, Jill. "Temperance Movement." Temperance Movement, Infobase, 2008. Issues and Controversies in History, ich.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17500&itemid=WE58&articleId=592421. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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"Research Documents Pandemic's Effect on Mental Health." Stockton University, 6 Sept. 2023, stockton.edu/news/2023/hughes-center-poll-mental-health.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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Risky Alcohol Use: An Epidemic Inside the COVID-19 Pandemic. National Institutes of Health, 28 July 2023. National Institutes of Health: COVID-19 Research, covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/risky-drinking-alcohol-use-epidemic-inside-covid-19-pandemic#:~:text=It%20was%20really%20no%20surprise,often%20to%20cope%20with%20stress. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

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Simkin, John, editor. "Amelia Bloomer." Spartacus Educational, Sept. 1997, spartacus-educational.com/USAWbloomer.htm. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.