In the context of the period from 1800-1919, to what extent was protestant religious idealism the
main inspiration for the introduction of National Prohibition?
National prohibition was the banning of the manufacturing, sale, and transportation of intoxicating
liquors within the United States. David William states “One could justifiably claim that the
temperance movement is the oldest movement in U.S. history”.1 It is said to have originated before the
1800s from Protestant religious idealism. However, one would have to assess its importance as a
factor of a movement as well as its relevance concerning the myriad factors such as the role of
women, the Anti-Saloon League, xenophobia, industrialisation, and World War 1. The extent to which
these factors were independently the main inspiration is limited, as the ideology of temperance was
deeply rooted in religious idealism. One could argue this was only the catalyst, and prohibition would
not have materialised without action taken by political groups and the war.
According to historian David Kyvig (1979),2 “From the start, evangelical Protestant churches stood at
the forefront of the anti-liquor movement.” Alcohol went from being “A good creature of God” in
colonial times, to being nicknamed “Demon Rum,”3 inferring it would corrupt America and lead to
sinfulness, which would not have sparked without the churches’ influence and religious reformers.
Temperance was a movement whose crusade can be traced back to the Second Great Awakening in the
early 1800s4 as concerns for moral and health hazards associated with drinking were rising. In 1832, it
was estimated the average American consumed at least 7 gallons of alcohol a year5, raising concerns
for the evangelical churches. Americans during this period became both more secular among
native-born Americans and more Catholic due to the large influx of immigrants from Catholic
countries,6 and so Protestants became more repressive in response. They wanted to establish
1
Webb, Holland. “Temperance Movements And Prohibition.” International Social Science Review, vol. 74, no. 1/2, Pi
Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences, 1999, pp. 61–69.
2
Frendreis, John, and Raymond Tatalovich. “‘A Hundred Miles of Dry’: Religion and the Persistence of Prohibition in the
U.S. States.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, Sage Publications, Inc., 2010, pp. 302–319.
3
“Women Led the Temperance Charge – Prohibition: An Interactive History” (prohibition.themobmuseum.org)
<https://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/the-history/the-road-to-prohibition/the-temperance-movement/> accessed July 10,
2021.
4
Dean Ryuta Adachi, “Movements | Temperance Movement | Timeline | the Association of Religion Data Archives”
(www.thearda.com) <https://www.thearda.com/timeline/movements/movement_36.asp> accessed September 5, 2021.
5
Seybert, Adam, Statistical Annals (Philadelphia, 1818, Daniel Dorchester, The Liquor Problem, in All Ages (New York,
1888), pp. 460-465.
6
“Protestant Immigrants | Encyclopedia.com” (www.encyclopedia.com)
<https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/protestant-immigrants>
accessed September 22, 2021.
1
,In the context of the period from 1800-1919, to what extent was protestant religious idealism the
main inspiration for the introduction of National Prohibition?
superiority over the Catholics, which was at the heart of the 18th amendment, as the values of the
ideal American were threatened by the idea of a “drunkard,” a man who put his wife and children’s
wellbeing at risk.
An example of these emerging attitudes for temperance is reflected in Benjamin Rush’ illustration
titled “A Moral and Physical Thermometer.,”7 in which he sought to enlighten people of the physical
effects of alcohol. Rush advocated for temperance and Christianity throughout his life as a founding
father and physician8. This source is valuable as it highlights a key argument used by influential
figures: the deteriorating health effects of liquor. Rush used both logos and pathos to gain support, as
the thermometer was an indicator of how the more one drinks, the more immoral and unhealthier he
becomes, going as far as to claim it is as sinful as murder. At the top are the positives of abstinence,
inferring one would receive a long life and happiness. Rush accepts the drinking of alcohol in small
quantities, thus proving in the late 18th century, most people did not advocate for total abstinence, as
drinking in moderation was considered acceptable. Nevertheless, the source is valuable in proving that
the churches used medical issues to bolster their campaign for temperance, and vice versa.9 This
pamphlet is valuable in demonstrating how people combined varied factors to promote temperance,
just as Rush used Protestant religious idealism with scientific research10. Thus, the source is valuable
as it is one of the first scientific pieces of propaganda for the movement, but Rush knew that a strictly
medical approach would not be sufficient to convince people to change their behaviour, thus working
with the churches and including religious notions in his work. People were shocked by the negative
connotations of alcohol, but it became an inspiration to early advocates of temperance and became
hugely popular.11 Conversely, science was nevertheless a minor factor compared to religious reasons
7
See Appendix 1
8
Lyman H Butterfield, “Benjamin Rush | United States Statesman and Physician | Britannica,” Encyclopædia Britannica
(2019) <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Rush> accessed November 12, 2021.
9
Othniel A Pendleton, “TEMPERANCE and the EVANGELICAL CHURCHES” (1947) Vol. 2 Journal of the Presbyterian
Historical Society (1943-1961), pp.29-36.
10
Harding, Susan. “American Protestant Moralism and the Secular Imagination: From Temperance to the Moral Majority.”
Social Research 76, no. 4 (2009): pp.1240–1286.
11
Bynum, William F, “Chronic Alcoholism in the first half of the 19th Century” (1968) 42 Bulletin of the History of
Medicine, pp.160-165
2
, In the context of the period from 1800-1919, to what extent was protestant religious idealism the
main inspiration for the introduction of National Prohibition?
in the first half of the 19th century to the inspiration for prohibition as there limited research about the
effects of alcohol until later in the late 19th century. Regardless, it proves that despite Rush not using
concrete medical evidence, it inspired people to drink less. This may not have been the view of most
people at this time and drinking was still considered conventional12. Notwithstanding, the source
demonstrates how although Rush attempted to make a plea for temperance based on scientific
understanding, but used religious notions to truly convince people to abstain. Scientific research
promoted temperance, but the main drive for the movement remained religious and a wish for an
improvement in moral enhancement.
After 1840, Protestant religious revivalism took place and set the stage for social reforms, notably
temperance13. These groups were primarily high class Congregationalists with a secure base in the
Protestant churches who sought to combat alcoholism through religious and personal solicitation. This
began as associations attracted people who felt deeply affected by male alcoholics. Pendleton offers a
convincing line of argument14, as he argues the churches made the biggest contribution in inspiring
prohibition, especially in the first 50 years of the temperance movement. He believes that Churchmen
were first to denounce alcohol and that prohibition was fuelled by protestant religious ideals, as he
states, “leading temperance fighters were, to an extent, clergymen.” This is convincing as the first
advocates were people of Anglo-Saxon heritage who condemned alcoholism and linked the latter to
Catholic immigrants from Europe, particularly the Irish15. However, it must be noted that this was
written by him in 1947, and that Pendleton was ordained to the Baptist Church in 1936.16 Therefore,
his view may have been clouded as a fundraiser for the church at a time when there were still people
12
Berridge, Virginia “Temperance Its History and Impact on Current and Future Alcohol Policy” (2005) pp. 5-10
13
Epstein, Barbara Leslie, The Politics of Domesticity - Women, Evangelism, and the Temperance in 19th Century America
(The University of Chicago Press 1983) 89–90.
14
See Appendix 2
15
Frendreis, John and Tatalovich, Raymond, “‘A Hundred Miles of Dry’: Religion and the Persistence of Prohibition in the
U.S. States” (2010) 10 State Politics & Policy Quarterly 302.
16
“Othniel Alsop Pendleton” (Prabook.com 2021) <https://prabook.com/web/othniel_alsop.pendleton/421628> accessed
November 3 2021.
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