Woman Christian Temperance Union Research Paper

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The temperance movement strived to limit or completely abstain from alcohol in the 1800s. One of the organizations that helped was the Woman Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The second president of the national of the WCTU Frances Willard helped the union gain recognition nationally at first, and then later, international traction. Willard's actions would forever shape the temperance union and women's suffrage around the world. In 1874, Willard left her job as an educator to become part of the WCTU. Willard started as the Chicago Woman’s Temperance Union’s first secretary. This job allowed her to start spreading the idea of temperance internationally. As Willard traveled the world, she found more and more evidence linking women’s suffrage …show more content…

Whittenmyer’s reluctance to include the ideas of women's suffrage into the WCTU’s mission caused her to lose her presidency to Willard in 1879, giving Willard a larger platform to change and spread the mission of the WCTU. Willard's actions as president of the WCTU helped spread the idea of temperance and women's suffrage. Willard believed that the WCTU should be a place where women could achieve more than being wives and mothers- creating a large push for change in the traditional roles of women. Willard used her new-found platform to convince women that they could make a difference for their children, by earning the right to vote and incorporating women's suffrage into the WCTU’s mission. As Willard continued her presidency, the influence of the WCTU grew as well, becoming the largest organization of women in the United States. Willard knew that the WCTU had enough impact to become an international organization, so in 1883 she called for the formation of the World Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The formation of the world WCTU had a monumental impact on women's suffrage and the temperance