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Lyman Beecher, Creator of the American Temperance Society, Preeches Against the Consumption of Alcohol
Lyman Beecher created the American Temperance Society in 1824. The organization held conventions where Beecher gave speeches with heavy-handed warnings about alcohol, including topics such as hell. Then, in 1826, Breecher started giving sermons in church about intemperance for six straight weeks, stating things such as, "No sin has fewer apologies than intemperance." -
Roots of Prohibition
By 1830, the average American over 15 years old consumed around seven gallons of alcohol a year, nearly three times as much as the average American drinks today. The alcohol abuse wreaked havoc on many people's lives, especially when women had very few rights and were completely dependent on their husbands for income and many other aspects of their everyday lives.