Temperance Publications for a Dry January

With holiday revelries behind us, perhaps you are thinking of having a “Dry January?”  Many people are feeling sober-curious  these days, but the move towards a more temperate lifestyle  is nothing new in America.  The Grosvenor Room has many resources from the Temperance Movement demonstrating that Americans have long been concerned about the effects of alcohol on individuals and its impact on society as a whole.

The Temperance movement in the U.S. arose in the 19^th century as alcohol was an integral part of daily life for most adults.  It is said that by 1830 the average American over the age of 15 consumed over 7 gallons of pure alcohol per year (trust me – this is a lot more than we drink today!).  While earlier movements toward sobriety sprang up in England and on the Continent in response to the distillation of spirits like gin — the push for temperance in the U.S grew with the Industrial Revolution and gained momentum after the Civil War.

Often promoted by middle class women, an onslaught of lectures, books, and pamphlets – even plays and songs about the evils of over consumption were published by temperance societies and concerned citizens.  This movement grew throughout the 19^th-20^th centuries culminating in the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. The amendment constitutionally prohibited the manufacture, transportation, or sale of alcohol in the U.S.  – only to be repealed in 1933 with the Twentieth Amendment after it became painfully clear that the ban could never be enforced and cost the government dearly in tax revenues.

A Great Convention of Drunkards.. published by John Marsh in 1854 is a satirical take on the arguments justifying a drunken society. This copy is inscribed to Frank by his friend Emily — perhaps demonstrating the place of middle class women in the Temperance Movement? Also note the illustrations — being involved in the Temperance Movement did not absolve one from racial and ethnic biases

This edition of The Boston Temperance Songster was published in 1845. A pocket sized book to use whenever one might feel moved to sing features Temperance Movement songs set to well known tunes of the time

The Silver Cup of Sparkling Drops From Many Fountains for the Friends of Temperance is a collection of poems, illustrations, and morality tales mostly concerned with how children were abused, abandoned, and haunted by intemperate parents