Temperance

Definition

Temperance is the practice of self-restraint and moderation, particularly in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. It was a significant social and political movement in the United States during the 19th century, with the goal of reducing or eliminating the use of alcohol.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The temperance movement in the United States gained significant momentum in the 1820s, led by organizations such as the American Temperance Society.
2. Temperance advocates believed that alcohol consumption was a major cause of social problems, including crime, poverty, and domestic violence.
3. The temperance movement played a key role in the development of many antebellum communal experiments, such as the Oneida Community and the Shakers, which promoted abstinence and self-discipline.
4. The temperance movement's efforts led to the passage of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which established nationwide prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933.
5. The temperance movement's influence extended beyond the issue of alcohol, as it was also associated with broader social reform efforts, such as the abolitionist movement and the women's suffrage movement.

Review Questions

• Explain how the temperance movement was connected to the development of antebellum communal experiments.
  • The temperance movement, which advocated for the moderation or complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages, was closely linked to the development of many antebellum communal experiments. These experiments, such as the Oneida Community and the Shakers, promoted self-discipline, moral reform, and the rejection of perceived societal vices, including alcohol consumption. The temperance movement's emphasis on personal and social transformation aligned with the goals of these communal experiments, which sought to create alternative communities based on principles of shared resources, collective living, and the pursuit of spiritual and moral perfection.
• Describe the broader social and political impact of the temperance movement in the United States.
  • The temperance movement in the United States had a significant impact that extended beyond the issue of alcohol consumption. The movement was closely associated with other social reform efforts, such as the abolitionist movement and the women's suffrage movement. Temperance advocates believed that the reduction or elimination of alcohol use would lead to broader societal improvements, including reductions in crime, poverty, and domestic violence. The movement's influence was instrumental in the passage of the 18th Amendment, which established nationwide prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. While the temperance movement's efforts were ultimately unsuccessful in maintaining prohibition, it demonstrated the power of social movements to shape political and social change in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Analyze the role of the temperance movement in the development of antebellum communal experiments and its connection to broader social reform efforts.
  • The temperance movement played a crucial role in the development of many antebellum communal experiments, such as the Oneida Community and the Shakers, which promoted abstinence and self-discipline as a means of achieving moral and spiritual transformation. These communal experiments aligned with the temperance movement's emphasis on personal and social reform, as they sought to create alternative communities based on principles of shared resources, collective living, and the pursuit of perfection. Beyond its connection to these communal experiments, the temperance movement was also closely associated with other significant social reform efforts, including the abolitionist movement and the women's suffrage movement. Temperance advocates believed that the reduction or elimination of alcohol use would lead to broader societal improvements, and their influence was instrumental in the passage of the 18th Amendment, which established nationwide prohibition. The temperance movement's ability to shape political and social change in the 19th and early 20th centuries demonstrates the power of social movements to drive transformative change in American society.

Related terms

Prohibition: The legal prohibition of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, which was enacted in the United States from 1920 to 1933.

Abstinence: The practice of refraining from the consumption of alcoholic beverages or other substances.

Temperance Movement: A social movement that advocated for the moderation or complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages, with the goal of promoting moral and social reform.