Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast

Axes, Activism, and Abstinence: The WCTU and the Fight for Temperance

Alycia Season 1 Episode 280

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0:00 | 16:03

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was one of the most powerful reform organizations of the 19th century, but its story goes far beyond banning booze. Sit down with me as I dive into the WTCU's origins, its wide-ranging activism, and the influential women who helped shape its legacy.

From the moral crusades of Frances Willard and her ambitious "Do Everything" policy to the saloon-smashing spectacle of Carrie Nation, learn how temperance became a launchpad for broader social change, including suffrage and education reform.

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