The Anti-Saloon League was the leading organization lobbying for prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century.

Founded as a state society in Oberlin, Ohio in 1893, its influence spread rapidly. In 1895 it became a national organization and quickly rose to become the most powerful prohibition lobby in America. It drew most of its support from Protestant churches, and it lobbied at all levels of government for legislation to prohibit the manufacture of alcohol. Its de facto leader was the powerful and influential Wayne Wheeler.

From 1948 until 1950 it was known as the Temperance League, from 1950 to 1964 it was called the National Temperance League; from then it has been known as the American Council on Alcohol Problems. To this day it remains true to its temperance agenda.

References

• Anti-Saloon League of America. Anti-Saloon League of America Yearbook. Westerville OH: American Issue Press, 1920
• Cherrington, Ernest. History of the Anti-Saloon League. Westerville, OH: American Issue Publishing Co., 1913
• Dohn, Norman Harding. The History of the Anti-Saloon League. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms, 1976
• Ewin, James Lithgow. The Birth of the Anti-Saloon League. Washington, D.C., 1913
• Kerr, K. Austin. Organized for Prohibition: A New History of the Anti-Saloon League. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1985
• Lien, Jerry. The Speechmaking of the Anti-Saloon League. University of Southern California, 1968

See also

• Temperance organizations
• History of Anti-alcohol Movements in the U.S. (Anti-prohibitionist perspective)

Source

Based on materials in Alcohol: Problems and Solutions, which contains complete references and additional materials

Temperance movement | Temperance organizations | Prohibition