During the Second Great Awakening, many social reforms took place, such as the ones for women’s rights, education, and prisons. The temperance movement, or the social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages, was also one of the many social movements that took place during this time. The temperance movement failed to have a positive lasting effect on the United States because it did not cause significant change, did not effectively stop the societal problems of its time, and eventually led to Prohibition.
The temperance movement failed to cause significant change because alcohol was much too popular and there were far more people who supported the right to drink alcohol than people who supported temperance. This, and the fact …show more content…
The consumption of alcohol was not stopped due to other movements becoming stronger and grabbing people's attention. The temperance movement died out and did not find any more traction until the 1870’s, temporarily stopping the movement against alcohol, causing the societal problems of unemployment, absenteeism in the workplace, and physical violence to become commonplace once again (Prokopowicz 272). Once the temperance movement started again, it was more focused on stopping alcohol consumption completely rather than moderate usage, although the some groups such as the American Temperance Union pledged total abstinence as far back as 1836. (Temperance Movement 266). Completely abstinence from alcohol was not popular and the laws made to support it in this time period did not last. The laws were “difficult to enforce, and public support for the laws quickly waned. By 1868 Maine was the only state left with a liquor prohibition law, and the temperance movement appeared to have come and gone.” (Prokopowicz 273). In the end, the temperance movement did not effectively stop the societal problems that alcohol caused due to the strength of other movements and the laws regarding it lacking public support and being hard to enforce. Prohibition, though, would make the societal problems even
The temperance movement failed to cause significant change because alcohol was much too popular and there were far more people who supported the right to drink alcohol than people who supported temperance. This, and the fact …show more content…
The consumption of alcohol was not stopped due to other movements becoming stronger and grabbing people's attention. The temperance movement died out and did not find any more traction until the 1870’s, temporarily stopping the movement against alcohol, causing the societal problems of unemployment, absenteeism in the workplace, and physical violence to become commonplace once again (Prokopowicz 272). Once the temperance movement started again, it was more focused on stopping alcohol consumption completely rather than moderate usage, although the some groups such as the American Temperance Union pledged total abstinence as far back as 1836. (Temperance Movement 266). Completely abstinence from alcohol was not popular and the laws made to support it in this time period did not last. The laws were “difficult to enforce, and public support for the laws quickly waned. By 1868 Maine was the only state left with a liquor prohibition law, and the temperance movement appeared to have come and gone.” (Prokopowicz 273). In the end, the temperance movement did not effectively stop the societal problems that alcohol caused due to the strength of other movements and the laws regarding it lacking public support and being hard to enforce. Prohibition, though, would make the societal problems even