The Connection Between the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Prohibition Party

Abstract

For the first 70 years of the post-Civil War United States, prohibition reemerged as a mainstream topic that interested people in every region of the country. The movement toward national prohibition was preceded by state and local efforts to shut down the traffic, sale, and consumption of intoxicating beverages. Given the intensity of feelings and the scope of activity, the abolition of alcohol became the political issue that trumped all others for a large number of committed citizens. Prohibition also gained particular popularity among politically active women. Many had played key roles in abolitionist organizations (e.g., Jeffrey, 1998; Robertson, 2010) and early temperance groups (e.g., Dannenbaum, 1981; Tyrrell, 1982), and others had been involved with benevolent societies of various types (e.g., Boylan, 1990; Ryan, 1979). With the abolition of slavery, many women turned to addressing other ills in society that required correction, and they soon sought to heal the country and the family by advocating for public policies that promoted a "sober and pure world." It is not without reason, then, that the largest women's organization up to that time, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), formed around the topic. Established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1874, the group's mission was to "protect the home"-and by extension, create greater personal and financial security for U.S. familiesthrough the prohibition of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Early leaders, including Annie Wittenmyer, Mary Johnson, Mary Ingram, and Frances Willard (whose name is most frequently associated with the group), viewed the group's cause as part of an attempt to exercise political voice, even without the franchise. Prohibition was a logical policy goal for women of this era, who were largely restricted to the private sphere, and were, thus, particularly susceptible to the social costs of alcohol abuse. In addition, it was considered unseemly for women of the era to spend much time in taverns and saloons, where much political business was conducted. As a result, few issues important to women and family-including education, child custody, and divorcetypically received the attention of political leaders of the day. The cause of prohibition, thus, became a way for women to bring indirect and direct attention to these issues. The WCTU grew rapidly in membership and status, eventually becoming the largest women's organization in the world. In the decade after its founding, it became organized 684373S GOXXX10.

From Pressure Group to Political Party: The Case of the American Anti‐Slavery Society and the Liberty Party*

“…Future studies will need to develop the findings here, whether using the same case, a different case from a different era (see Chamberlain et al, ), or a longitudinal study incorporating a host of parties and time periods. One particular area of concern that was not broached earlier is the extent to which policy demanding shapes party activities after party formation, especially since Aldrich's () theory of parties emphasizes election‐minded, not policy‐oriented, politicians.…”