Today in History: Carrie Nation & Temperance

Carrie Nation: The San Francisco call., March 01, 1903
Today in History–December 27–the Library of Congress features temperance zealot Carrie Nation, who smashed the bar at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas on this day in 1900. Abandoning the nonviolent agitation of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Nation argued that destroying saloons was an acceptable way to battle the liquor trade. To learn more about why Nation and many other 19th-century women were against the sale of alcohol, visit the Today in History section, then click the links below to access all types of primary sources related to Carrie Nation and temperance.

Carrie Nation images

Carrie Nation: select newspaper articles

Temperance images

Temperance sheet music

Temperance song recordings

Temperance map

Temperance broadsides & correspondence

Temperance Talk (periodical)

Ruined by Rum (1877 book)

The Bases of the Temperance Reform (1873 book)

Text-book of Temperance (1869)

More temperance books & other texts

Temperance: historical newspaper articles and advertisements

American Temperance Society resources

American Temperance Society: historical newspaper coverage

Temperance background info & primary source texts (California State University Northridge)

Today in History: Temperance & Prohibition