Temperance: Drunk with Power?

"It is woman that speaks through The Lily…Intemperance is the great foe to her peace and happiness. It is that above all that has made her Home desolate and beggared her offspring… Surely, she has the right to wield her pen for its Suppression. Surely, she may without throwing aside the modest refinements which so much become her sex, use her influence to lead her fellow mortals from the destroyer’s path." -Amelia Bloomers, The Lily

Domestic Abuse was a result of alcoholism

Throughout the 19th century society was plagued by by bad habits and problems. One of the most notorious complications, was alcoholism. Alcohol caused many social problems during the 19th century. Brawling in public, domestic abuse, and loss of job and home, were all due to alcoholism. The average citizen during the 19th century, would drink nearly 7 liters of alcohol a year, not counting the "light" alcohols. Much of the alcohol consumed were very strong, like whiskey or gin. The temperance reform, arose in attempt to combat the rise of alcohol. The temperance reformers would organize Coalitions, in which men would willingly (or forcefully) join in hopes of abstaining from heavy liquors. One of the most notable reformers was Amelia Bloomer, who was the editor and writer of the newspaper, "The Lily" which preached temperance ideals and ethics. Amelias writing went as far as getting alcohol temporarily banned in Maine, which was a haven for alcoholism. Though Temperance isn't well known today, temperance brought forth absenteeism (the total abstinence of liquor), which banned alcohol from the United States entirely.

Amelia Bloomer, Editor of "The Lily"

Citation:
Amelia Bloomer. “Defenders of the Home” The Lily, May 23, 1850. Accessed January 12, 2015. http://www.accessible-archives.com/collections/the-lily/