Women's History Month 2020: Suffrage and Temperance

Wikipedia

Temperance was an issue that American women enthusiastically embraced in the 19th century. Native-born American women argued that alcohol was the root of all kinds of evils including that it caused men to be violent to their wives and children. As the movement evolved, the goals of the women in the temperance movement changed to include total  prohibition  especially as immigrant women to the United States, accustomed to a "wet" culture, didn't hold the same beliefs about temperance.[1]

Frances Willard

The largest most well-known temperance group was the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Founded in 1873,  Frances Willard is most often the person remembered for leading the WCTU. According to the WCTU website, Willard "believed that women, as the moral guardians of the home, should be involved in public and political activity. She increased the reform activity initiated by the WCTU with choices for local chapters. This made it possible for large numbers of women to work with the temperance movement and on issues that were of concern to themselves.This became know as Frances Willard's "Do Everything" policy. It was passed at the National 1882 WCTU Convention. It encouraged local chapters to work on any and all issues they deem important. This allowed very conservative chapters to avoid issues such as the "Home Protection Ballot" (women's right to vote)." [2]

Suffrage was a natural fit for temperance activities, even if not all temperance volunteers believed women should have the right to vote. And men were afraid that given the vote, women would vote for prohibition. 

Kathryn Kish Sklar writes, "as a way of promoting the “Home Protection Vote,” the Union endorsed woman suffrage in 1881, when women’s right to vote was still a radical cause with few supporters. For the next twenty years WCTU members served as the grass roots for the suffrage movement. In villages, towns, and cities throughout the United States, especially in the North, Midwest and West, they fostered discussions about the need for women’s participation in public life"[3]

Records for temperance groups and the women involved can be found in archival collections. Mentions of temperance activities and membership may also be found in your ancestor's local newspaper. 

One thing to remember is that not all women, and not all Christian women, belonged to the WCTU. In some cases, various denominations believed in temperance but would not have been welcome in the WCTU. 

Resources

GenealogyBank Blog - Researching Your Female Ancestor: Women in the WCTU
Frances Willard House Museum and Archives




[1]"Women and the Temperance Movement," DPLA (https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/women-and-the-temperance-movement: accessed 9 March 2020).
[2]"History," Women's Christian Temperance Union (https://www.wctu.org/history: accessed 9 March 2020).
[3] "Temperance & Suffrage," Not for Ourselves Alone (https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/not-for-ourselves-alone/temperance-suffrage: accessed 9 March 2020).