The Insane Propaganda of the Temperance Movement

Woodcut of 1914 silent film “Absinthe.”

The temperance movement can be traced back to 1784 when Dr. Benjamin Rush first declared alcoholism “a disease.” He made the connection between the poor and sick and how much alcohol they consumed. In the 1820s, a new movement with strong religious connections claimed that alcohol led to crime, sin and ultimately Hell. The American Temperance Society was formed in 1826 and “demon rum” became their primary…