Women's Moderation Union
Encyclopedia
The Women's Moderation Union, headed by M. Louise Gross
, helped belie the Women's Christian Temperance Union's insistence that it spoke for American women. When she heard the WCTU president make that assertion before the United States Congress
in an effort to enhance its power and influence, Gross decided that those women who sought the repeal of prohibition
needed a vehicle through which their voice of opposition could be heard.
Although the libertarian
orientation of the Women's Moderation Union did not resonate well with some women, Gross' organization was successful in mobilizing and giving visibility to many women who opposed the national prohibition
of alcoholic beverage
s.
M. Louise Gross
M. Louise Gross was secretary to New York City Tammany Hall district leader Thomas F. Foley, a close associate of Al Smith. She served in leadership positions in repeal of prohibition organizations including the Molly Pitcher Club, the Women's Moderation Union, and the Women's Committee for...
, helped belie the Women's Christian Temperance Union's insistence that it spoke for American women. When she heard the WCTU president make that assertion before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in an effort to enhance its power and influence, Gross decided that those women who sought the repeal of prohibition
Repeal of Prohibition
The Repeal of Prohibition in the United States was accomplished with the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1933.-Background:...
needed a vehicle through which their voice of opposition could be heard.
Although the libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
orientation of the Women's Moderation Union did not resonate well with some women, Gross' organization was successful in mobilizing and giving visibility to many women who opposed the national prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s.