Page 50 - All About History - Issue 186-19

e p They would also implore the saloon owners to Cleveland, Ohio. Its purpose was to improve every
g stop selling alcohol, talking about the ills they aspect of society and its methods were abstinence
wi n believed it caused, both physical and moral. and a drive for purity, symbolised in its emblem
Marches in Hillsboro, Ohio, became the of a white ribbon. It chose a noted social reformer,
template for a campaign that started in 1874. Annie Wittenmyer, as its first president and under
debatedinthesaloo u Men were involved, too, but the public face of her guidance it soon grew to over 1,000 chapters.
every village, town and city – buildings from such campaigns was always female. The image of From its very earliest days, the WCTU
which women were banned. wives and mothers using peaceful protest to try demanded a total ban on making and selling

“MALEPOLITICIANSACROSSTHEUNITEDSTATESWEREWELLAWARETHATOPPOSINGPROHIBITION

AND THEWOMEN WHO WANTED ITCOULD BE FATALFOR THEIRCAREER AMBITIONS”

In the winter of 1873, a group of female and change society was a powerful tool that won alcohol and chose a three-pronged approach.
campaigners in Ohio decided to target these publicity as well as some success on the ground. ‘Agitate, educate, legislate’ became its watchwords,
saloons as they grew increasingly concerned By the end of what became known as ‘The a recipe that it quickly set about putting into
about the impact of alcohol. They were inspired Women’s Crusade’, several hundred breweries had action in its battle against booze.
by the preaching of Diocletian Lewis, who spoke shut their doors. Music and theatre became new tools of protest.
passionately about his mother’s success in shutting A Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, an increasing
At the same time, a more formal and politically
a bar through the power of picket and prayer. minded approach was taking shape with the number of popular tunes were adopted by female
Women began to march to saloons, where they formation of the Women’s Christian Temperance prohibition campaigners who set new words to
would stand outside singing hymns and chanting Union. Set up in December 1873, it officially them. New compositions also sprung up to spread
before lobbying customers to change their ways. opened its doors in 1874 at a convention in the anti-drink message. Famous songs such as

As the campaign for a repeal
of Prohibition gathered
momentum, WCTU members
continued their public shows
of support for the ban

Protesters used social
pressure to try and shut
down bars and saloons
as the Women’s March
spread across Ohio in
the winter of 1874

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