Prohibition As a Reform, by Joan Rapczynski and Florence
Zywocinski Guide Entry to 78.03.03: The prohibition movement
began in this country not as a movement for complete prohibition
of alcohol, but as a “temperance” or reform movement. The
temperance movement can be traced all the way from its origins
in Colonial days to its culmination in the early l900s. This
unit gives a detailed account of the battle for temperance, its
limited successes and frequent failures, and its ultimate
demise. Students will learn that even “social drinking” was
illegal for years in this country and that, after each attempt
to ban the use of alcohol, the public rejection of efforts to
create a “sober society” led directly to repeal of prohibition
reform. The narrative is devoted to constructing a calendar of
the major historical events surrounding the temperance question.
A course outline divides the material into ten sections for
classroom use. Eight detailed lesson plans that utilize the
background information conclude the unit.