1846-1911
Temperance Advocate

Background.

Carry Nation was the most famous prohibition activist during the 1900s. Born poor in Garrard County, Kentucky, Carry had little education and married young. Soon she discovered that her husband was an alcoholic, so she left him and returned home. He died six months later, and she married David Nation in 1877. After several moves the couple arrived in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, where Nation began to crusade against liquor. She helped found the local chapter of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and in 1899 closed a saloon by leading a prayer vigil in it. This did not work with the other bars in town, so Carry soon adopted more dramatic methods. In 1900 she began to throw bricks at saloons, causing considerable damage. Soon she had a full arsenal of weapons, including the famous hatchet.

"Joint Smasher."

Almost six feet tall and powerfully built, Carry...