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The '''Woman's Christian Temperance Union''' is an American woman's group based in pietistic Protestant with the mission of purifying the nation, especially by reducing drunkenness and eliminating saloons. The members soon discovered they needed the vote to become politically effective, so they fought for woman suffrage. Founded in 1873,<ref>http://www.wctu.org/crusades.html</ref> the WTCU was a prominent support force for [[Prohibition]] in the late 19th century.  It had hundreds of local affiliates across the U.S., Canada and Australia.  

The '''Woman's Christian Temperance Union''' is an American woman's group based in pietistic Protestant with the mission of purifying the nation, especially by reducing drunkenness and eliminating saloons. The members soon discovered they needed the vote to become politically effective, so they fought for woman suffrage.  

==Leaders==

 

The Women's Crusade of spring 1874 led to the organization of the national and state Woman's Christian Temperance Union - the first major women's organization to exclude men. It gave women a sense of solidarity, a public forum in which to train in politics, a broadened outlook, and interdenominational contacts. Members were married, well-educated, affluent, and of main-line Protestant, professional families.<ref>see [http://www.wctu.org/crusades.html WCTU statement</ref> the WTCU was a prominent support force for [[Prohibition]] in the late 19th century.  It had hundreds of local affiliates across the U.S., Canada and Australia.  

==Leadership==

===Georgia===

The Atlanta chapter of the WCTU was founded in 1880, followed in 1883 by the Georgia WCTU under the presidency of Jane Elizabeth Sibley. The organization at first enjoyed close relations with the [[Southern Methodist Church]] in Georgia but conflict later arose over the issue of women's rights, particularly since the WCTU had close connections with the Georgia Women's Suffrage Association, set up in 1889. Warren Akin Candler, president of Emory College, was a particularly vociferous Methodist opponent of WCTU support for female suffrage in the 1890s.<ref> Nancy A. Hardesty, "The Best Temperance Organization in the Land": Southern Methodists And The W.C.T.U. Methodist History 1990 28(3): 187-194. 0026-1238 </Ref>  

The Atlanta chapter of the WCTU was founded in 1880, followed in 1883 by the Georgia WCTU under the presidency of Jane Elizabeth Sibley. The organization at first enjoyed close relations with the [[Southern Methodist Church]] in Georgia but conflict later arose over the issue of women's rights, particularly since the WCTU had close connections with the Georgia Women's Suffrage Association, set up in 1889. Warren Akin Candler, president of Emory College, was a particularly vociferous Methodist opponent of WCTU support for female suffrage in the 1890s.<ref> Nancy A. Hardesty, "The Best Temperance Organization in the Land": Southern Methodists And The W.C.T.U. Methodist History 1990 28(3): 187-194. 0026-1238 </Ref>  

==Programs==

==Programs==

===Publications===

===Publications===

During 1886-1901, the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association (WTPA) in Chicago was the official publishing house of the national WCTU. By 1890, the WTPA employed more than 100 people and produced more than 125 million pages of literature annually. Focuses on the scope and methods of operation of the WTPA, which engaged in a wide variety of publishing and bookselling activities in order to reach the public with the WCTU message. In the 1890s, the proportion of commercial printing of the WTPA's total annual production steadily increased and accounted for two-thirds of the output by 1898. However, the WTPA's profits were adversely affected by the economy of the 1890's, by rapid technological advances in printing machinery, and by conflicts within the WCTU and the WTPA board of directors. These factors led to the company's decisions in the early 1900's to lease the business to the William Johnston Printing Company and to withdraw as an affiliate of the WCTU.<ref> Jane L. McKeever, "The Woman's Temperance Publishing Association." ''Library Quarterly'' 1985 55(4): 365-397. 0024-2519 </ref<

During 1886-1901, the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association (WTPA) in Chicago was the official publishing house of the national WCTU. By 1890, the WTPA employed more than 100 people and produced more than 125 million pages of literature annually. Focuses on the scope and methods of operation of the WTPA, which engaged in a wide variety of publishing and bookselling activities in order to reach the public with the WCTU message. In the 1890s, the proportion of commercial printing of the WTPA's total annual production steadily increased and accounted for two-thirds of the output by 1898. However, the WTPA's profits were adversely affected by the economy of the 1890's, by rapid technological advances in printing machinery, and by conflicts within the WCTU and the WTPA board of directors. These factors led to the company's decisions in the early 1900's to lease the business to the William Johnston Printing Company and to withdraw as an affiliate of the WCTU.<ref> Jane L. McKeever, "The Woman's Temperance Publishing Association." ''Library Quarterly'' 1985 55(4): 365-397. 0024-2519 </ref>

===Sex===

===Sex===

In response to prostitution and venereal disease issues at the turn of the 20th century, the Ontario, Canada, branch of the WCTU took the lead in sex instruction for children. The group strongly encouraged mothers to provide sexual knowledge to their children at home, but the regimen advocated was virtually impossible for most households. The WCTU hired Arthur Beall to provide public lectures on sex to children, usually boys. His lectures mixed hygiene, conservative Christianity, and Canadian patriotism. In 1912 the Ontario Department of Education hired Beall to continue this work. The high percentage of Canada's troops stricken with venereal disease during World War I made venereal disease a military topic and encouraged the physician-led social hygiene movement, whose mother-blaming tactics the WCTU consistently opposed.<ref> Christabelle Sethna, "Men, Sex, and Education: The Ontario Women's Temperance Union And Children's Sex Education, 1900-20." ''Ontario History'' 1996 88(3): 185-206. 0030-2953 </ref>  

In response to prostitution and venereal disease issues at the turn of the 20th century, the Ontario, Canada, branch of the WCTU took the lead in sex instruction for children. The group strongly encouraged mothers to provide sexual knowledge to their children at home, but the regimen advocated was virtually impossible for most households. The WCTU hired Arthur Beall to provide public lectures on sex to children, usually boys. His lectures mixed hygiene, conservative Christianity, and Canadian patriotism. In 1912 the Ontario Department of Education hired Beall to continue this work. The high percentage of Canada's troops stricken with venereal disease during World War I made venereal disease a military topic and encouraged the physician-led social hygiene movement, whose mother-blaming tactics the WCTU consistently opposed.<ref> Christabelle Sethna, "Men, Sex, and Education: The Ontario Women's Temperance Union And Children's Sex Education, 1900-20." ''Ontario History'' 1996 88(3): 185-206. 0030-2953 </ref>  

* Clark; Norman H. ''Deliver Us From Evil: An Interpretation of American Prohibition.'' 1976. supports prohibition

* Clark; Norman H. ''Deliver Us From Evil: An Interpretation of American Prohibition.'' 1976. supports prohibition

* Dannenbaum, Jed. "The Origins of Temperance Activism and Militancy among American Women", ''Journal of Social History'' vol. 14 (1981): 235-36.

* Dannenbaum, Jed. "The Origins of Temperance Activism and Militancy among American Women", ''Journal of Social History'' vol. 14 (1981): 235-36.

* Gusfield, Joseph R. "Social Structure and Moral Reform: A Study of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union," ''American Journal of Sociology'' 61,No.3 (1955).

* Gusfield, Joseph R. "Social Structure and Moral Reform: A Study of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union," ''American Journal of Sociology'' 61,No.3 (1955).

* Pegram, Thomas R. ''Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800–1933'' (1998).

* Pegram, Thomas R. ''Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800–1933'' (1998).