The early Temperance movement - part 1

The Early Temperance Movement

The temperance movement began with the belief that Americans drank too much alcohol and should reduce their consumption, especially of hard liquor such as whiskey and rum. It initially promoted moderation but gradually developed a more prohibitory outlook.

Forces Behind the Movement

Three forces helped the movement grow in the early 1800s:

• The Second Great Awakening: Religious reformers sought to bring society and its institutions in line with Christian moral ideals. Temperance fit this broader reform effort because heavy drinking was seen as harmful to families and as undermining institutions such as education and the workplace.
• The Industrial Revolution: As more people worked in factories and operated machinery, drinking on the job was considered dangerous. Factory work left little room for workers to be intoxicated safely.
• Nativism and anti-Catholic prejudice: Some Protestant Americans associated Catholic immigrants with drinking. This prejudice helped fuel temperance sentiment and gave the movement political significance. The video also describes an alignment in which Whigs were associated with Protestant temperance supporters, while Catholics tended to align more with Democrats.

Growth of the Movement

Temperance gradually became a broader social and political movement, with local and state organizations. In 1825, preacher Lyman Beecher delivered six sermons condemning alcohol, helping popularize the idea that excessive drinking was un-Christian.

In 1826, the American Temperance Society (ATS) became the first national temperance organization. The video concludes by previewing a later discussion of the ATS and the movement’s national growth.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Becca, the presenter from Khan Academy
• Lyman Beecher, cited for his 1825 sermons on alcohol
• American Temperance Society (ATS), cited as the first national temperance organization, founded in 1826