lisaannettestanley
- Mar 30, 2021

Frances Willard & The Temperance Movement. Women's History Month Day 30

Women's History Month Day 30.

Like I said in my piece on the 18th Amendment earlier this month, many of the same Women's Rights Activists, who worked on the pressing Social Issues of the day were concerned with Quality of Life Issues:

Equal Pay for Equal Work (Income Inequality)

Equal Education for Girls

The Abolition of Slavery

Property Rights

Legal Rights

And Prohibition of Alcohol under the 18th Amendment. which was later Repealed by the 21st Amendment.

.....many of the same Quality of Life Issues that people living in our Generation are still dealing with today.

In today's world, WOMEN still NEED Ratification of the #EqualRightsAmendment, the reauthorization of the #ViolenceAgainstWomenAct of 1994 PLUS a #HateSpeechBill to protect WOMEN from #HateSpeech at the #Grammys AND the #Oscars #FaceTheMusic

In continuing to look back at the Constitutional Amendments & how they affect life today, one of the few Women memorialized in Statuary Hall of our Nation's Capitol Rotunda, along with Stanton, Mott & Anthony is Frances Willard of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

Frances Willard (September 28, 1839 – February 17, 1898)

Seeing the effects of Alcohol on people's lives, everything from spending the families' entire paycheck on alcoholic beverages to Domestic Violence & Anger Management issues, Willard felt a calling to intervene.

Even today, since the ratification of the 21st Amendment that repealed the 18th Amendment Prohibition of Alcohol, lots of people can drink in moderation, enjoying a beer or a glass of wine with a meal without becoming an Alcoholic.

But many cannot.

They don't know when to stop & become addicted.

Just like Alcoholics Anonymous today is Christian-based, the Women's Christian Temperance Union along with others like the Anti-Saloon League formed powerful Grassroots Organizations to stem the tide of Alcoholism.

Asking families to sign Pledge Cards like the one shown here from Tennessee, Willard travelled the country extensively to enlist people in several States to join the cause.

In fact Susan B Anthony once said of Willard that she was "One of America's Greatest Generals" helping to start Unions all across the country, reaching a membership of 250,000 people - all at a time when there was no Internet, no Google, no Social Media - which would be quite a feat today even with the help of all those Modern Resources.

As we've seen all during Women's History Month, a LOT goes into Amending our Constitution

Let's finish the job by Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment THIS YEAR - not for History's sake, but because these same issues still affect people today.