TJ+historical+event

[|The Temperance Movement]

Place: United States Time Period: mid 1800's What: Abolitionism of alcohol in the United States



"Because of the correlation between drinking and domestic violence -- many drunken husbands abused family members-- the temperance movement existed alongside various women's rights and other movements, including the Progressive movement, and often the same activists were involved in all of the above." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_movement (Wikipedia.com)

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-This statement shows its readers the severity of alcohol abuse by men in the 1800's. They abused their wives and children and were not mentally stable. Husbands would typically come home from a long days work, hit the local pub, and then go home only to beat his child and wife. This is especially demonstrated demonstrated in Huck Finn's family. Huck is beaten by his father on numerous different occasions.

There was a peiod in time during the mid eighteen hundreds when the Temperace Movement made its first appearance. This rise in action banned the consumtion of alcohol in the United States as well as various other countries. By taking away the alcohol in America the idea was that parents would be less likely to abuse their wives and children and practice better morals. Unfortunately this movement backfired and did not solve any of the problems which were supposed to be solved during the movement in the first place. They were taking the easy way out and showing everyone that alcohol is the problem and if we take that away then the rest of the problems will go away.

This movement showed that by covering up the surface problems, the deeper problems surface more so. The government seems to always take the easiest path to the answer. Unfortunately like Pa, taking away their comfort it creates a more difficult task because they can no longer cover up their pain. Instead they can't confront themselves so the deeper problems just worsen.