Jonah Patel
The Prohibition Party, the oldest third political party in the U.S., was founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The party's supporters saw themselves as descendants of the abolitionists, fighting to rid the country of slavery and, later, of the sin of alcohol abuse. The movement was driven by religious groups, particularly Pietistic Protestants, who identified saloons as politically corrupt and drinking as a personal sin. The Prohibition Party gained support from rural and small-town voters affiliated with Protestant evangelical churches and reached its peak in the elections of 1888 and 1892, with its presidential candidate polling 2.2% of the popular vote in each. The party also championed women's equality, granting women full voting and delegate rights at its first convention in 1869, and supported equal pay for equal work in its 1892 platform.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Formation | 1869 |
| Founder | John Russell |
| First Chairman | Jonathan H. Orne |
| First Secretary | Julius A. Spencer |
| First Vice-President Nominee | James Black |
| First Presidential Nominee | John Russell |
| First Platform | Support for alcoholic prohibition, direct election of senators, bimetallic currency, low tariffs, universal suffrage for men and women of all races, increased foreign immigration |
| Highest Office Achieved | Governor of Florida, Sidney J. Catts, 1916 |
| Last State to End Prohibition | Mississippi, 1966 |
| Current Status | Exists, but does not hold conventions |
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What You'll Learn
- The Prohibition Party is the oldest third political party in the US
- The party was founded in 1869 to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol
- The party's popularity peaked in 1888 and 1892, with 2.2% of the popular vote
- The party's support came primarily from rural and small-town voters affiliated with Protestant evangelical churches
- The party's platform included other progressive causes, such as women's suffrage and civil rights
The Prohibition Party is the oldest third political party in the US
The Prohibition Party is the oldest third political party in the United States. It was founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The party's supporters saw themselves as descendants of the abolitionists, fighting to rid the country of slavery and, later, of the sin of alcohol.
The movement was driven by religious groups, particularly Pietistic Protestants, who believed that alcohol consumption led to personal sin and societal problems such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and political corruption centred around saloons. The Prohibition Party aimed to destroy these saloons and "unshackle the drunkard".
The Party's early years saw some success in pressuring towns and counties to enact prohibition laws. In 1872, the Party nominated its first presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Chairman Simeon B. Chase and James Black, respectively. The Party's platform included support for alcoholic prohibition, the direct election of senators, universal suffrage for men and women of all races, and increased foreign immigration.
The Prohibition Party reached its peak of national strength in the elections of 1888 and 1892, with its presidential candidate polling 2.2% of the popular vote in each. The Party also aligned itself with other progressive causes, such as equal pay for equal work, which was included in its 1892 platform.
After 1900, the Party's influence waned at the national level, but it remained effective in local and county-level politics. The Anti-Saloon League, a non-partisan group, supported dry (pro-prohibition) candidates, including those from the Prohibition Party. Despite this, the Party's overall electoral success was modest, with the highest office achieved by a Prohibition Party candidate being the governor of Florida in 1916.
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The party was founded in 1869 to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol
The Prohibition Party, the oldest third political party in the US, was founded in 1869 to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol. It was formed from the remnants of the temperance forces, with its supporters seeing themselves as the direct descendants of the abolitionists.
The movement to ban alcohol in the US began in the 1830s and 1840s, with many abolitionists fighting to end slavery also viewing alcohol as an evil to be eradicated. The temperance movement, rooted in America's Protestant churches, initially urged moderation before encouraging teetotalism. The movement lost momentum during the American Civil War but was revived by the Prohibition Party, which aligned itself with other progressive causes, including the fight for suffrage for women and voting rights for Black people.
The Prohibition Party's first platform in 1872 included support for alcoholic prohibition, the direct election of senators, bimetallic currency, low tariffs, universal suffrage for all, and increased foreign immigration. The party reached its peak of national strength in the elections of 1888 and 1892, with its presidential candidate polling 2.2% of the popular vote in both years. After 1900, its influence waned at the national level, but it remained effective in local and county elections.
The Prohibition Party's efforts to end the alcohol trade were supported by other groups, including the Anti-Saloon League, the Women's Church Federation, the Women's Temperance Crusade, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. These religious groups identified saloons as politically corrupt and drinking as a personal sin. They believed that by destroying saloons and stopping the spread of addiction, the appetite for alcohol would diminish.
The movement to prohibit alcohol was not without opposition. Liturgical Protestants, Catholics, and beer industry supporters mobilised against the "drys", arguing that the government should not define morality. Despite this opposition, the 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, was ratified in 1917, going into effect in 1920.
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The party's popularity peaked in 1888 and 1892, with 2.2% of the popular vote
The Prohibition Party, the oldest third political party in the US, was founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The party's platform was built around the destruction of saloons, which were seen as politically corrupt and responsible for alcohol-related problems such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and political corruption. The party also aligned itself with other progressive causes, including the direct election of US senators and the advocacy for complete and unrestricted suffrage for women and full voting rights for Black Americans.
The party's popularity peaked in the elections of 1888 and 1892, with its candidate for president receiving 2.2% of the popular vote in each year. This success can be attributed to the growing temperance movement in the US, which had gained momentum since the 1830s and 1840s. The movement, rooted in the country's Protestant churches, initially urged moderation but eventually demanded that governments prohibit alcohol outright. The Prohibition Party also gained support from rural and small-town voters affiliated with Protestant evangelical churches, as well as women's groups such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).
The WCTU, led by Frances Willard, played a significant role in the party's success. In 1884, the WCTU pledged its support to the Prohibition Party, which it continued until Willard's death in 1898. The WCTU's resolution to support the party was influenced by Willard's advocacy for alcoholic prohibition. The WCTU's support provided a strong grassroots base for the Prohibition Party, and their alliance helped to amplify the party's message and reach a wider audience.
After 1900, the influence of the Prohibition Party waned at the national level, and its strength became more effective at the local and county levels. However, the party continued to exert influence through its advocacy for women's rights. In its 1892 platform, the party called for equal pay for equal work, demonstrating its commitment to gender equality. Despite its declining electoral success, the Prohibition Party has left a lasting impact on the political landscape, and it continues to exist today, making it the oldest minor US political party still in existence.
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The party's support came primarily from rural and small-town voters affiliated with Protestant evangelical churches
The Prohibition Party, the oldest third political party in the U.S., was founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The party's support came primarily from rural and small-town voters affiliated with Protestant evangelical churches.
The roots of the Prohibition Party can be traced back to the temperance movement of the mid-19th century, which first urged moderation, then encouraged resistance to temptation, and finally demanded that local, state, and national governments prohibit alcohol outright. The movement was particularly strong in rural and small-town communities, where residents were concerned about the social and health problems associated with alcohol abuse, such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and political corruption centred around saloons.
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), led by Frances Willard, was a key proponent of the temperance movement and played a significant role in the formation of the Prohibition Party. The WCTU lobbied for local laws restricting alcohol and created an anti-alcohol educational campaign that reached schoolchildren across the nation. In 1884, Willard pledged the WCTU's support to whichever party would support alcoholic prohibition, and only the Prohibition Party accepted. This alliance brought a significant number of rural and evangelical supporters to the Prohibition Party, as the WCTU had strong ties to Protestant churches and grassroots communities.
The Prohibition Party's platform extended beyond alcoholic prohibition. During its first national campaign in 1872, the party also endorsed the direct election of United States senators, unrestricted suffrage for women, and full voting rights for Black Americans. The party continued to advocate for progressive causes throughout its existence, including equal pay for equal work in 1892, almost 100 years before this goal was achieved.
While the Prohibition Party's national influence waned after 1900, it continued to have an impact at the local and county levels. The party's efforts, combined with those of other prohibition supporters, led to the enactment of Prohibition in 1920, which criminalised the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. However, the party's success was short-lived, as popular support for Prohibition collapsed by the mid-1920s, and the Democratic Party adopted an anti-Prohibition stance in 1932.
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The party's platform included other progressive causes, such as women's suffrage and civil rights
The Prohibition Party, the oldest third political party in the U.S. that is still in existence, was founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. The party's platform included other progressive causes, such as women's suffrage and civil rights.
The roots of the Prohibition Party can be traced back to the temperance movement, which first emerged in the 1830s and 1840s. The movement, rooted in America's Protestant churches, initially urged moderation before demanding that governments prohibit alcohol outright. The temperance movement believed that alcohol was a false need implanted by "moral brigands" and that drinkers were victims who needed to be freed from censure and sin.
The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), founded in 1874, played a significant role in the movement. Led by Frances Willard, the WCTU lobbied for local laws restricting alcohol and created anti-alcohol educational campaigns in schools. The WCTU also advocated for women's suffrage, and in the 1884 presidential election, pledged its support to the Prohibition Party, which accepted their resolution.
The Prohibition Party's first platform in 1872 included support for alcoholic prohibition, the direct election of senators, universal suffrage for women and men of all races, and increased foreign immigration. The party also aligned itself with the cause of protected voting rights for Black Americans. In 1892, the party further added equal pay for equal work to its platform.
The Anti-Saloon League, a non-partisan group, also played a crucial role in the movement. They successfully combined propaganda, religion, and political coercion to make alcohol a wedge issue in elections. The ASL, led by Wayne Wheeler, united with various groups, including suffragists, to advocate for a constitutional amendment banning alcohol. With the ratification of the income tax amendment in 1913, which reduced the government's dependence on liquor taxes, the ASL gained even more momentum.
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Frequently asked questions
The Prohibition Party is the oldest third political party in the US, founded in 1869 to campaign for legislation to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors.
The Prohibition Party believed that saloons were politically corrupt and that drinking was a personal sin. They also supported women's suffrage and equal pay for equal work.
The Prohibition Party was most successful in the late 19th century, with its candidate for president polling 2.2% of the popular vote in the 1888 and 1892 elections. The party also had some success at a local level, with Sidney J. Catts becoming governor of Florida in 1916, and Charles H. Randall being elected to the US House of Representatives in 1914.
The Prohibition Party helped to bring about the 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the US. The party also contributed to a decline in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems such as cirrhosis of the liver.
