Appendix No. 9: Temperance Societies

Abstract

Tocqueville and Beaumont give a brief description of the rise of the temperance movement in America, arguing that temperance societies represent the best practice of association to maintain liberty. They describe the hierarchical structure of the temperance movement, including the process of membership, nominated administrators over lower societies, and the central society responsible for publishing studies on the success of the movement. The authors conclude by giving some statistics on membership and the number of societies in each State of the Union.