Teetotalers and Saloon Smashers: The Temperance Movement and Prohibition

One of America’s founders, Dr. Benjamin Rush often wrote about the importance of temperance, or not drinking too much alcohol. By the nineteenth century, many more Americans thought alcohol was a big problem and began to speak out. Leaders of temperance groups across the country called for laws limiting or prohibiting the sale of alcohol. Saloon smashers destroyed bars and taverns. Author Richard Worth explores the history of the temperance movement, its relentless supporters, and the era of Prohibition in the United States.