The prohibition movement occurred during the era of progressive reform. The Eighteenth Amendment and its accompanying act, the Volstead Act, brought about the ideas of the prohibitionists. Though there were some negatives setbacks to the prohibition movement, the movement was ultimately a success because of the widening support for the Anti-Saloon League. The prohibition movement received much support from the Anti-Saloon League. Alcohol and saloons were very closely related. The Anti-Saloon League developed a strong distaste to saloons in the United States, causing them to back prohibition.
Some believed that the saloon lobby was always found in alliance with every other corrupt and evil influence (Document G).
This showed the corrupt correlation between alcohol and legislature. Many believed that saloons should be kept away from industries with hazardous characters and with men who work at night time, and kept away from places where girls or adult women may pass (Document D).
Saloons degraded women by having pictures of life-sized naked women in the saloon (Document A).
This mentality continued to be shown away from saloons when men would believe that a woman’s only place is the home (Document P).
This showed the negative impacts saloons could have on the rest of society. A majority began to agree with the Anti-Saloon League. The Anti-Saloon League tried to appeal to members of church, as these people were higher supports of the prohibition movement. Every step the country was taking was regarded as an act of Divine intervention (Document L).
The Essay on The Progressive Movement Was A Liberal Triumph
“The Progressive movement of 1900 to 1917 was a triumph of conservatism rather than a victory for liberalism.” I disagree with this statement. The basic philosophy of “conservatism” is that change is bad. The basic “historian” definition of progressivism is: a movement for social change and improvement. For this reason, it is accurate to say that this era was a ...
It was shown that clergymen supported prohibition more than members of any other profession (Document J).
These men believed that deliverance would come, but it would come from the sober (Document I).
Many people also believed that regardless of their view on prohibition, they should pay tribute to the “efficiency and courage” of the churches in this fight (Document Q).
This just shows the effect and support churches had on the prohibition movement. Thus, it only makes sense that the Anti-Saloon League would appeal to members of church. The Anti-Saloon League also spread facts to add more members. They showed how children with more alcoholic parents had a higher chance of having brain defects (Document B).
The Anti-Saloon League helped spread the notion that alcohol was bad for the country in every way (Document S).
This helped many people to start to see the problems caused by alcohol. People started to see that alcohol should not be used as a tonic or source of medicine (Document C).
People also started to see the negative economic ramifications caused by alcohol. The league also used “practical politics” to gain information about their voters (Document O).
The Anti-Saloon League’s advertising worked. In 1910 37.
8% of prohibitionist leaders resided in places with 100,000 or more occupants (Document K) and in 1917 very few states were still considered “wet” (Document M).
The Anti-Saloon League was successful in spreading its facts to the rest of the country and gaining higher support for the prohibition cause. The prohibition movement did receive minor setbacks; however, the movement was ultimately a success. This was most definitely because of the zeal and determination of the Anti-Saloon League. In the end, the Anti-Saloon League and its followers gave the prohibition movement the push it needed to pass the 18th Amendment.
