In this episode, we explore the letters that shaped the temperance movement—from early moral appeals to legislative battles. We dive into Frances Willard’s leadership of the WCTU, the rise of prohibition laws, and the tensions that emerged, including her conflict with Ida B. Wells over race and reform. Through historical correspondence, we uncover the voices, struggles, and shifting strategies behind one of the most influential social movements of the 19th century.
Bibliography
1. Willard, Frances E. Letter to Albion Tourgée, December 21, 1894, Archives of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).
2. Wells, Ida B. Letter to Albion Tourgée, November 27, 1894, Ida B. Wells Papers, Library of Congress.
3. The Lily (1849–1856), edited by Amelia Bloomer, the first U.S. women’s newspaper featuring temperance and women’s rights advocacy.
4. Carry Nation. The Smasher’s Mail (1901–1908), a periodical defending her saloon-smashing activism and temperance stance.
5. Neal Dow. Maine Law Proclamation, 1851, State Archives of Maine, announcing the first statewide prohibition law.
6. Temperance Letters (1840s–1850s), collected in the Temperance and Prohibition Papers, American Antiquarian Society.
7. Osborne, Lori. Truth-Telling: Frances Willard and Ida B. Wells. AASLH, 2019.
8. Blocker, Jack S. Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History. ABC-CLIO, 2003.
9. Rumbarger, John J. Profits, Power, and Prohibition. SUNY Press, 1989.
10. Gusfield, Joseph R. Symbolic Crusade. Univ. of Illinois Press, 1963.
11. Pegram, Thomas R. Battling Demon Rum. Ivan R. Dee, 1998.
12. Tyrrell, Ian R. Woman’s World, Woman’s Empire. UNC Press, 1991.
13. Dannenbaum, Jed. Drink and Disorder. Univ. of Illinois Press, 1984.
14. Bordin, Ruth. Frances Willard: A Biography. UNC Press, 1986.
15. McGerr, Michael. A Fierce Discontent. Free Press, 2003.
16. Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Women and the Temperance Movement Primary Source Set.
17. Library of Congress. Temperance and Prohibition Collection.
18. National Archives (NARA). Prohibition: An Interactive History.
19. Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University. Women’s Christian Temperance Union.