American Temperance Society founded in Boston

Background. The society was established in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 13, 1826. It benefited from a reform sentiment in much of the country that promoted the abolition of slavery, expanding women's rights, temperance, and the improvement of society. The organization also benefited from a renewed interest in religion and morality, which influenced its formation and early activities.

Significance. The American Temperance Society was the first U.S. social movement organization to mobilize massive and national support for a specific reform cause. Possibly because of its association with the abolitionist movement, the society was most successful in northern states. In a later period, temperance groups in the South were weaker than their Northern counterparts and did not pass any statewide prohibition laws, while the few prohibition laws in the North were repealed by the war's end.

Context. The temperance movement sought to curb the consumption of alcohol and had a large influence on American politics and society. Americans such as Lyman Beecher, a Connecticut minister, had started to lecture fellow citizens against all use of liquor in 1825, contributing to the environment that led to the society's formation in 1826.