Forging a National Movement.

In 1874 women concerned with the adverse effects of alcohol consumption on American family life formed the Woman's Christian- Temperance Union (WCTU), an organization devoted to limiting Americans' consumption of alcohol and the influence of the liquor business in city, state, and national politics. With its roots in Protestant reform, the WCTU grew throughout the 1870s and 1880s. By the end of the century the WCTU had become the single largest organization of women in the nation and its leader, Frances Willard, one of the most influential women in the United States. In 1892 the WCTU membership of 150,000 far outstripped that of other activist groups, including the National-American Woman Suffrage Association, with 13,000 dues-paying members, and the General Federation of Women's Clubs, with some 20,000 members.

Alcohol Consumption.

Since the early days of the republic, alcohol had played an important role...