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People were not strongly against drinking in early America; even the Puritans drank occasionally. People also believed that it would be a cure for almost any type of sickness. People didn’t think much of the hazards of alcohol. Most people were against drunkenness, not drinking in general. The first religious drinking law was passed in New York in 1697, and it ordered all public drinking areas be closed on Sunday, the Lord's Day. People thought that it was a time to worship God, and not concentrate on drinking.
By the late 1820's, complete moderation from all alcoholic drinks was a primary rule of nearly all of the evangelical churches. During the this time, people argued that alcohol was an instrument of Satan, and the drink soon gained names such as “demon rum” and “Lucifer Liquids”. The churches had a bigger effect when they tried to influence behavior to reduce demand for alcohol rather than trying to limit supply of alcohol. Some people thought that no one should drink. Temperance was turning into Prohibition and this got the churches into politics.
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This site was last updated 04/14/05