Alcoholism in Post-Revolution America
After the Revolutionary War, Americans drank alcohol in staggering amounts. Hard liquors from the nation’s earliest distilleries replaced ciders and beers, the preferred beverages of colonial times. By 1830, each person consumed an average of more than seven gallons of alcohol per year.
Alcohol was believed to have medicinal benefits, preventing fevers and aiding digestion. According to Mark Lender, a historian and coauthor of Drinking in America, “If you did not drink, you were endangering your health.”
Benjamin Rush and the Temperance Movement
Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a prominent physician, emerged as a leading advocate for temperance. In his 1785 essay, “An Inquiry Into the Effects of Ardent Spirits Upon the Human Body and Mind,” Rush outlined the dangers of alcohol abuse.
To illustrate his points, Rush created a “Moral and Physical Thermometer” that depicted the medical conditions, criminal activities, and punishments associated with excessive drinking. Punch, for instance, could lead to idleness, sickness, and debt. Gin, brandy, and rum consumption was linked to murder, madness, and the gallows.
Rush’s ideas were initially met with skepticism, but his essay became a bestseller. Gradually, the medical community recognized chronic drunkenness as a disease, and Rush’s thinking influenced the temperance movement of the 1820s.
The Temperance Movement and Prohibition
Early temperance advocates adopted Rush’s ideas, cautioning against distilled liquors while condoning moderate consumption of beer, cider, and wine. However, the distinction between hard liquors and other alcoholic beverages eventually faded as the movement pushed for teetotalism, or complete abstinence from alcohol.
Prohibition, which banned the production, sale, importation, and transportation of alcohol, took effect in 1920. The 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition in 1933.
The Concept of Addiction
Benjamin Rush’s ideas laid the foundation for our modern understanding of addiction. He believed that substance abuse could lead to physical dependence and that the substance, rather than the individual, controlled the person’s behavior.
Rush’s concept of addiction as a disease influenced the development of addiction treatment programs and the recognition of addiction as a serious public health issue.
Alcohol Consumption Today
The legacy of the temperance movement and Prohibition continues to shape our attitudes towards alcohol consumption today. While alcohol is widely available, excessive drinking remains a significant problem.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 14.5 million adults in the United States suffer from alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse can lead to numerous health problems, including liver disease, heart disease, and cancer.
Conclusion
The history of alcoholism in America is a complex and multifaceted one. From the excessive drinking of the post-Revolutionary era to the temperance movement and Prohibition, our attitudes towards alcohol have evolved over time.
Benjamin Rush’s groundbreaking work on the effects of alcohol abuse laid the foundation for our modern understanding of addiction. His ideas continue to influence addiction treatment and prevention efforts today.
