Analyzing Early Calls for Prohibition

Lisa·

History

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This learning resource focuses on the early prohibition movement in Texas during the late 19th century, highlighting the social climate of the time, especially the influence of the Temperance Movement led by the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). It emphasizes the connection between alcohol consumption, domestic violence, child labor, and economic strife. The document includes primary source excerpts, such as the WCTU Manifesto and a newspaper editorial from 1887, which illustrate the arguments made by reformers advocating for prohibition as a means of ensuring family stability and social order. A series of analytical activities encourage students to evaluate the societal concerns that fueled these reform efforts and to explore the intersections of industrialization, urbanization, women's rights, and child welfare in the context of the prohibition movement in Texas.