34. Prohibition Began at the State Level Before the Civil War
By the 1840s, an organized movement had emerged to fight the epidemic of alcohol abuse. Originally, it was geared towards persuading drinkers, as individuals, to reform their ways and become abstainers. In some communities, preaching, the church, and social pressure were successful in drastically cutting down the number of drinkers.
However, it soon became clear that moral persuasion was not enough. Also, the perception grew that alcohol’s ills were not limited to the individual drinker, but negatively impacted the community and society as a whole. So a new trend emerged within the ranks of the anti alcohol reformers: prohibition. In 1851, Maine became the first state to enact prohibition, criminalizing the manufacture and sale of alcohol within its borders, and subjecting those engaged in such activities to fines and imprisonment.
