Anti-Prohibition Protests

The beginning of the twentieth century in America was marked with the temperance movement. In 1917, the Eighteenth Amendment was passed, prohibiting both the manufacturing and the sale of alcoholic beverages. This time period was faced with the spread of organized crime, which was highly influenced by secret saloons and underground liquor sales. When it came to organized responses, generally those who supported the ban were more likely to hold marches and demonstrations and those who did not were too busy drinking to protest. However, there were a few groups who decided to rally against this unconstitutional ban. The prohibition movement shaped the beginning of the century, and the protesters against it expressed how the Amendment spread more harm than good. These protests are especially fascinating because both sides believe that they are fighting for the common good.


Traditionally, the prohibition movement is characterized as an effort led largely by wives who worried that their husbands sinned using alcohol and that banning this drink would solve domestic abuse problems. However, there were also many female opponents to prohibition, many of which joined the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR). This organization was formed in 1929, led by Pauline Sabin of New York. She was inspired to fight for change when she heard Ella Boole speak, the leader of the Women’s ChristianTemperance Union (WCTU). Boole asserted that her support for Prohibition represented the “women of America”, believing that she was doing what was best to protect the home and community lives of women. WONPR, on the other hand, focused on how the Eighteenth Amendment did more harm than good and signified the emergence of the modern “new woman”. They were worried that the underground drinking movement caused an influx in underage consumption as well as a disrespect for the rule of law.

WONPR relied on a grassroots campaign to advocate for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. When discussing protest movements, many assume that only parades or walks can be included in the conversation; however, all forms of expressing disapproval for a policy can be considered a protest. One such demonstration was the Cleveland Convention in April 1930, where women discussed the best way to fix the Eighteenth Amendment. Unanimously, WONPR declared that “National Prohibition is fundamentally wrong”. Below is the original declaration that was agreed upon in Cleveland.







Figure 1: “Declaration of Principles.”. State government records collection, (April 24, 1930): The Library of Virginia. http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2017/11/29/last-call-women-and-the-repeal-of-prohibition/



In April 1932, the women across the United States participated in a nation-wide project called Repeal Week. Their goal was to publicize their mission through luncheons, radio programs, newspaper articles, etc. and attract more members. By canvassing local areas, the American women convinced both candidates for the Congressional race to agree with WONPR. In addition, these women plastered their message on as many every day utensils as they could to quickly spread the word. Some of these objects included a makeup compact, cigarette lighter, a matchbook, and Christmas cards. To expand their organization, WONPR members set up “shops” for new members and donations. Their goal was to “increase its members to a million”. This propaganda campaign directly led to the passage of the Twenty FirstAmendment and the end to prohibition. Both WONPR and the WCTU believed that they were advocating for the common good of all Americans. Gaudium et spes, a papal encyclical of the Catholic Church, states that the human citizens ought to, “defend their own rights and the rights of their fellow citizens”. The women at this time were very active politically and hoped that their efforts would improve the lives of all women. Their protests were rooted in the idea that women should strive to better their lives and gain more respect. In doing so, they advocated for protecting the family unit and the future of the United States of America.

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