Social Welfare and Prohibition

Chris Perez, Alex Polidoro, Peter McFarren

Key Players

● Theodore Roosevelt● Woodrow Wilson● Florence Kelly● Frances Willard

Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt ● Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United

States● Born October 27th, 1858● He was president from 1901-1909● Fought for better working conditions/ worker’s rights

● Wilson was the 28th president of the United States● Born December 28th 1856● Tried to keep America out of WWI and founded

League of Nations● Was opposed to 18th Amendment and Volstead Act.● Congress overrode Wilson’s veto

Florence Kelly● In 1891 Florence joins Jane Addams, Julia Lathrop, Ellen Gates Starr, and other women at the Hull House● Her job was to observe the area and its working

conditions● She took notice to the very young children working in

the tenement sweatshops. ● She conducted a survey that was presented to the state● As a result the Illinois State Legislature created the 1st

factory law prohibiting employment of children under the age of 14

● Appointed as first woman chief factory inspector

Frances Willard

●Born September 28,1839 ● Woman Suffragist ● President of Woman’s Christian Temperance

Union● Rallied support for Temperance and many

other social reforms● She was also involved in:-Work relief for the poor-Anti-rape laws-Federal aid to education

Key Groups and Events

● YMCA● Social Gospel and Settlement House● Salvation Army● WCTU● Anti-Saloon League● The 18th Amendment

YMCA● AKA Young Men’s Christian Association● Founded on June 6th, 1844 by George

Williams● Established to provide safe housing in a

Christian environment for young men● BY 1851, there were YMCA’s in the United

Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States

Social Gospel● Religious social reform movement● Focused on applying moral principles to the

improvement and industrialized society● Including Abolition of:

○ Child Labor○ A shorter workweek○ Factory regulation

Settlement House● In 1886 Stanton Coit founded America’s first

Settlement House● Provides services and activities designed to

identify and reinforce the strengths of individuals, families, and communities

● The houses may include:■ Job training■ Employment programs■ Early childhood education■ Youth and art programs■ Literacy education

Salvation Army● In 1985 William Booth and his wife Catherine

Booth saw how the Church was looking down upon the poor people and street people

● Decided to create the Salvation Army to tend to the poor and street peoples needs

● Provides shelters to the homeless, disaster relief, and clothes drives

WCTU● AKA Women’s Christian Temperance Union● Founded in Cleveland, Ohio in November of

1874● Movement to ban alcohol● In 3 months had driven liquor out of 250

communities● Annie Wittenmyer was President from 1874-

1879● 1879 Frances Willard becomes President of

organization

Anti-Saloon League● Formed in Oberlin, Ohio on May 24th, 1893

○ Ohio Anti-Saloon League● Became Anti-Saloon League on December 18th,

1895 in Washington D.C.● Primary goal was to unify and focus on anti-alcohol

sentiments effectively● Secondary goal was to increase anti-alcohol

sentiment● Purley Bake was the superintendent (For Ohio)● William H. Anderson was the superintendent (For

New York)

The 18th Amendment● Ratified in January 16th, 1919● Repealed in 1933 by 21st Amendment● Volstead Act - Banned manufacture, sale,

and transportation of alcohol● Gave government means of

enforcing 18th Amendment

Viewpoints on Prohibition ● Prohibition only drives drunkenness behind

doors and into dark places, and does not cure it, or even diminish it.Mark Twain: Letter from New York to the Alta Californian, May 28, 1867.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ynot/Prohibit.html

Reasons for Prohibition● The Prohibition movement gained

momentum because alcohol was made the scapegoat for problems in America

● Problems included unemployment, absence in the workplace and violence in the home

Why Prohibition Failed● Prohibition failed due to the vast expense of

enforcing it as well as an increase in organized crime whose purpose was to distribute alcohol illegally

● Cops also took bribes from underground saloons in order to stay out of their business which defeated the purpose of trying to enforce Prohibition

Reasons for Social Welfare● Social Welfare came about as the result of

poor working conditions and poor wages● Workers were given no benefits and often

had to work long hours to support their families

● Children were sent to work dangerous jobs to help support the family

Why Social Welfare Succeeded

● Social Welfare was clearly successful as we established a minimum age that children can work at as well as minimum wage and working condition standards