Why the temperance movement once fought to replace saloons with public water fountains

Food & Drink · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Long before national prohibition, the temperance movement was a sprawling social force that evolved from moderate drinking advice into a radical crusade for total abstinence. It reshaped American and British culture, linking sobriety to everything from the Industrial Revolution to the fight for women's suffrage and universal voting rights.

The temperance movement began as a call for moderation, rooted in the belief that alcohol caused moral and physical decay. Early 19th-century reformers, such as the Massachusetts Society for the Suppression of Intemperance, focused on elite men and social standing. However, these early efforts struggled to gain traction because alcohol was deeply embedded in daily life, serving as a vital commodity when water supplies were often polluted and other beverages were expensive.

By the 1830s, the movement shifted toward teetotalism—a stricter demand for total abstinence from all alcoholic beverages. This era saw the rise of mass organizations like the American Temperance Society, which claimed over 1,250,000 members by 1838. Reformers increasingly viewed alcohol as a barrier to moral perfection, aligning their cause with abolitionism and the push for women's suffrage. In the UK, groups like the Band of Hope targeted working-class children, while in the US, the movement sought to replace the social function of saloons by installing public temperance fountains.

The movement's methods were highly contested. The Washingtonians, a group of artisans founded in 1840, rejected religious coercion and prohibition laws, favoring sympathy and peer support for recovering drinkers. Conversely, other factions pushed for state-level bans, leading to the 1851 Maine Law, a landmark in prohibitionist legislation. By the early 20th century, these efforts culminated in national prohibitions across several countries, including the United States, Finland, and Norway, fundamentally altering the global social landscape regarding alcohol consumption.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• How a movement to stop alcohol consumption became a powerhouse for women's suffrage
• The only constitutional amendment ever passed to cancel another one ended Prohibition
• The Prohibition Party is the oldest active third party in the United States
• The Eighteenth Amendment remains the only constitutional change in American history to be repealed.
• The hidden history of the public water fountain
• How one humble tuber fueled a continent and then failed a nation
• Why this pungent, fermented delicacy is considered a culinary treasure across China and Taiwan
• Ireland's complex role within the machinery of the British Empire
• Why you cannot legally make Stilton cheese in the village of Stilton
• The existential solitude of the long-haul truck driver
• The oldest known stew was simmered in Japan some 7,000 years ago
• The stinging nettle is a versatile powerhouse hiding in plain sight as a weed.

More in UK & Ireland: food · More in Food & Drink · Latest · A–Z · All topics