American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

American history - Essay Example The temperance movement was a culmination of growing religious and moral sentiments in the North. The main goal of the temperance movement according to Blocker, Tyrrell and Fahey was â€Å"to define and control alcohol consumption† (40). During the colonial era drinking was socially acceptable but in the nineteenth century it was found to be no longer respectable as it viewed as the cause of social evils. Alcoholism was often associated with evils such as domestic violence, poverty, crime, prostitution and poor health and as such needed to be regulated. The aim was not to ban drinking and eliminate the production of alcohol but to moderate its use as it was affecting the economic development. Later in the nineteenth century, the movement advocated for abstinence from drinking alcoholic beverages and this goal was achieved in 1920 when â€Å"manufacture, sale and transport of alcoholic beverages in the US and its possessions† was prohibited nationwide through the eightee nth Amendment to the US constitution (Blocker et al. 42). The first national organization responsible for temperance efforts was the American Temperance Society (ATS) founded in 1826. Women also played a great role in pushing for temperance reforms as they had moral influence. They did this through Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) formed in 1874. Another organization that played crucial role in pushing for legislative agenda was the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASLA). It saw the passing of eighteenth Amendment although it was repealed in 1833. The Educational Reform movement was also prominent during this period. Education was viewed as the cause and solution of many problems in the society hence it was geared to solving current problems of each epoch. Reformers like John Dewey believed that the society could only be reformed through education reforms (Horn 42). According to Berube (99) and Horn (41-55) there were