Temperance Movement Research Paper

517 Words3 Pages
The temperance movement overall had very profound effects on the American culture through pledges. For this period in time, all reform movements focused on different habits in society like nutrition, fashion of women, peace, women's rights, abolitionism, and the treatment of the disabled and prisoners. Reformers were united by the temperance idea, and this betterment of the society pushed them to tackle other problems. People met with other active reformers, and they were inspired to do a greater change. In another sense, temperance influenced the view of Americans. The movement showed that an individual had the potential to make an impact in different spheres like politics, economy, and philosophy. Therefore, the movement was very important since it was affiliated with the other reform crusades of the…show more content…
The idea of a temperance society caught on fire, and after a couple of years, over a thousand local groups became known. Such societies did attracted people with pictures, pamphlets, and lectures. One of the more progressive ideas of the temperance movement, though, was the pledge. It was highly innovative of the time. Pledges, like the one signed by Neil James Sweeney in 1844, promoted total abstention from intoxicants and also promoting this in others. This specific temperance pledge had a religious audience, since it was signed in a New York Catholic Temperance Association and guided by a reverend. New religions of the Second Great Awakening played a big role in temperance, while voting rights, consumer economical practices, and Transcendentalism all developed individualistic behavior and understanding rather than concentrate on the traditional thinking. This individualistic right was nurtured by one small item – a pledge; people made promises through the pledge and then had to abide by the rules. So, the impact of the pledges on the American culture was
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