Full Description
This case study of the Women's Temperance Crusade in southwestern Ohio is based on primary sources and archival materials. It examines the socio-historical circumstances surrounding the movement as well as the participation of men within the movement. This case study of the Women's Temperance Crusade in southwestern Ohio is based on a unique collection of manuscripts and contemporary newspaper clippings. It also draws on the federal census, regional newspapers, church records, mayor's criminal court docket books, council minutes and other sources. Saloon keepers, women Crusaders, and their male allies come alive. The events of 1874 appear in a large context from the opening of Oxford's first tavern in 1816 to the demise of watery 3.2 beer in 1979. The book argues that men took a surprisingly large role in the Women's Crusade. It demonstrates the breadth of support for the Crusade among white Protestants while acknowledging that many well-off Oxford families, even teetotal ones, chose not to participate. It offers evidence that men from respectable families sometimes drank in saloons. In addition to making a contribution to temperance history, the book provides a detailed picture of a small Midwestern college town. Topics include violence, money, and race relations. The book ends with a sketch of the family of Dr. Alexander Guy, whose wife Amelia served as president of the Women's Temperance League, and an excerpt from a memoir written by his youngest son.
