William J. Rorabaugh wrote “The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition”, a book about Americans’ intense alcohol consumption during the time period of 1780 to 1820. Rorabaugh is currently a professor at the University of Washington. He focuses his energy towards writing books on his favorite interests such as the 19th century, social history, and urban history, all within the United States boundary lines (Rorabaugh). Most notably are the four books Rorabaugh wrote about radical changes in America. The books he authored are “The Craft Apprentice: From Franklin to the Machine Age (Oxford, 1986)”, “Berkeley at War: The 1960s (Oxford, 1989)”, and “Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties (Cambridge, 2002)”. A fifth book regarding social change
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Drinking was allowed anywhere: home, taverns, steamboats, and even while conducting trials (Rorabaugh 18). He believed alcohol was a hindrance to society's capability to progress. As the nation began to drink more the social ideas pertaining alcohol began to change. The American greeting “come sir, take a dram first”, signified that the American society at the time of 1780-1820 revolved around alcohol (Rorabaugh 20). The increased consumption of alcohol brought changes among philosophical ideas, businesses, and industry (Rorabaugh 21). Rorabaugh explained that the drinking gave admission to the best society, which includes the upper class elites. However, after the drop in the prices of rum, the upper class began to lose their ruling ground of taverns (Rorabaugh 32). Rorabaugh showed that the rise of drinking was inversely related to the dwindling caste system. Drinking began to occur in all social places, at anytime. As Rorabaugh stated on page 135, all members of the society, including the “well- educated and wealthy from ignorant and impoverished”, shifted the mass of drunks from elites to the middle class. People changed the way they drank, drinking modest amounts throughout the day quickly turned into binge drinking; socially and …show more content…
Alcohol opposition from the states began in the eighteenth century, in hoping the results to be, “drinking down the national debt” (Rorabaugh 53). Rorabaugh signified the increase of alcohol consumption corresponded with the economical change of jobs. Rorabaugh further explained the relationship between jobs and the loneliness that the employee acquired while working. The book was objective, but Rorabaugh highlighted that Americans lack economic adversity. After farmers lost their exports of produce to New England, they lacked economic adversity as they did not know how to best disperse their surplus grain (Rorabaugh 78). Farmers then began to turn surplus grain into distilled spirits and began to see their profits skyrocket (Rorabaugh 91). The economical power that brought distillers and average citizen alcohol gave whiskey the spirit of independence (Rorabaugh 92). Men also believed to be of great power when they drank economically, especially in groups. Men felt powerful with a “sense of autonomy”, while also feeling equal to each other while drinking in groups (Rorabaugh 151). The jobs that were alienated from society but earned a good wage had the highest level of consumption. Occupations such as stage divers, lumberjacks, riverboat, and canal builders all had high consumption rates (Rorabaugh 140). Rorabaugh stressed that
Drinking was allowed anywhere: home, taverns, steamboats, and even while conducting trials (Rorabaugh 18). He believed alcohol was a hindrance to society's capability to progress. As the nation began to drink more the social ideas pertaining alcohol began to change. The American greeting “come sir, take a dram first”, signified that the American society at the time of 1780-1820 revolved around alcohol (Rorabaugh 20). The increased consumption of alcohol brought changes among philosophical ideas, businesses, and industry (Rorabaugh 21). Rorabaugh explained that the drinking gave admission to the best society, which includes the upper class elites. However, after the drop in the prices of rum, the upper class began to lose their ruling ground of taverns (Rorabaugh 32). Rorabaugh showed that the rise of drinking was inversely related to the dwindling caste system. Drinking began to occur in all social places, at anytime. As Rorabaugh stated on page 135, all members of the society, including the “well- educated and wealthy from ignorant and impoverished”, shifted the mass of drunks from elites to the middle class. People changed the way they drank, drinking modest amounts throughout the day quickly turned into binge drinking; socially and …show more content…
Alcohol opposition from the states began in the eighteenth century, in hoping the results to be, “drinking down the national debt” (Rorabaugh 53). Rorabaugh signified the increase of alcohol consumption corresponded with the economical change of jobs. Rorabaugh further explained the relationship between jobs and the loneliness that the employee acquired while working. The book was objective, but Rorabaugh highlighted that Americans lack economic adversity. After farmers lost their exports of produce to New England, they lacked economic adversity as they did not know how to best disperse their surplus grain (Rorabaugh 78). Farmers then began to turn surplus grain into distilled spirits and began to see their profits skyrocket (Rorabaugh 91). The economical power that brought distillers and average citizen alcohol gave whiskey the spirit of independence (Rorabaugh 92). Men also believed to be of great power when they drank economically, especially in groups. Men felt powerful with a “sense of autonomy”, while also feeling equal to each other while drinking in groups (Rorabaugh 151). The jobs that were alienated from society but earned a good wage had the highest level of consumption. Occupations such as stage divers, lumberjacks, riverboat, and canal builders all had high consumption rates (Rorabaugh 140). Rorabaugh stressed that