Dry Crusade Teacher Guide
Instructional Blueprint
THE DRY CRUSADE
Deconstructing the Social Roots, Moral Arguments, and Propaganda of the Temperance Movement
Grade Level: 7th Grade Duration: 55 Minutes Subject: U.S. History I (1865-1920s)
Objectives
- Identify the 3 social causes of the Temperance Movement (poverty, domestic abuse, work accidents).
- Analyze 1910s propaganda to identify persuasive techniques.
- Explain the significance of the 18th Amendment.
Essential Question
"Why did millions of Americans believe outlawing alcohol was the key to saving the family?"
Required Supplies
- Dry Crusade Slide Deck
- Propaganda Image Pack
- "Student Broadside" Worksheet
- Highlighters / Colored Pencils
Vocabulary
Temperance The movement to limit or completely ban the consumption of alcohol.
Prohibition The legal prevention of the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol.
Amendment An official, formal change or addition to the US Constitution.
0 - 10 Min
1. The Hook: The Saloon Door (Warm-Up)
Show students a historical image of a 1920s saloon and a family waiting outside. Pose the challenge question on the board.
Teacher Script / Prompt "Look at the picture. Imagine you are a mother in 1910 who relies on her husband's paycheck to buy food for her children. Why might you fear the saloon down the street? Write 2 sentences in your warm-up journal."
10 - 25 Min
2. Direct Instruction: The Three Pillars of "Dry"
Deliver visual slides focusing on why reformers (specifically women and religious groups) took on the alcohol industry. Emphasize:
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Social Pain: Heavy drinking often led to family neglect, unpaid rent, lack of food, and high rates of domestic violence. Explain that women had few legal rights to divorce or retain property at this time.
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Industrial Safety: Modern factory lines required sober operators. Industrialists (like Henry Ford) supported prohibition to boost productivity and reduce factory floor accidents.
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World War I Catalyst: Wheat and barley were needed for military food rations, not beer. Distilling was painted as unpatriotic, especially with many brewers being of German descent.
Unit 6: America in Transition (1920s) Page 1 of 2 Curriculum Standards Alignment
The Dry Crusade: Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
Lesson Progression Continued
25 - 40 Min
3. Guided Practice: Decoding Propaganda
Project the famous temperance cartoon, "The Saloonkeeper's Victims" (or an equivalent from the Slide Deck). Facilitate a whole-class, 7th-grade-appropriate text and visual analysis.
Guiding Questions to Ask
- Who is in the spotlight? (A ragged mother and hungry children)
- Who is in the background? (A heavy-set, wealthy saloon owner)
- What emotion is the creator trying to evoke? (Pity, shame, urgency)
Analyzing the Tone
Guide students to notice how temperance propaganda rarely used facts or statistics; instead, it relied heavily on pathos (emotional appeal), targeting the protection of innocent children.
40 - 50 Min
4. Independent Activity: The Student Broadside
Students act as 1910s campaigners. Using the "Student Broadside" Worksheet, they must outline an advertisement or pamphlet calling for the passage of the 18th Amendment.
7th Grade Scaffolded Instructions Checklist:
1. Pick a Target Ask either mothers, industrial factory owners, or patriotic citizens during WWI.
2. Create a Slogan Write a punchy phrase (e.g., "Sober Soldiers, Safe Streets").
3. Key Argument Write one primary reason supporting the ban on liquor.
50 - 55 Min
5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket
Have students write on an index card: "Explain one reason why WWI helped the Temperance Movement pass the 18th Amendment."
Expected Answer: "The government needed the grain to feed our soldiers, and many breweries had German-sounding names, which made beer seem unpatriotic during the war."
Accommodations & Scaffold
For Struggling Writers: Provide a sentence frame: "We should ban alcohol because without it, families will..."
For English Language Learners: Use the labeled diagram slides that label the characters "Mother," "Saloon Owner," and "Rent Money."
Extension: Ask fast finishers to predict: "Once alcohol becomes illegal, what challenges might police officers face?"
Unit 6: America in Transition (1920s) Page 2 of 2 Curriculum Standards Alignment
Dry Crusade Slides
U.S. History I Lecture Companion
THE DRY CRUSADE
"Why America Chose to Outlaw Alcohol: The Road to the 18th Amendment"
Unit 6: America in the 1920s Slide 1 of 5
1. THE HOME IN DANGER
Social Causes
Family & Poverty
- ▸ Many working men spent weekly paychecks on whiskey instead of food, milk, or rent.
- ▸ Under 1910s law, women had very few rights to protect assets or divorce husbands.
The W.C.T.U.
- ▸ The Women's Christian Temperance Union rallied millions.
- ▸ Their ultimate crusade: Protect children and the household by outlawing the saloon.
The Demon in the Bottle Slide 2 of 5
2. WORKSHOPS & WORLD WAR I
Economic Causes
Sober Machinery
Industrial titans like Henry Ford supported the ban because assembly lines and fast machinery required total focus. Drinking led to high accident rates and low factory productivity.
The War Catalyst
During WWI, wheat and barley were needed to feed American troops overseas, not for beer. Additionally, many breweries had German names, making distilling look unpatriotic to the public.
Patriotism & Productivity Slide 3 of 5
3. DECODING THE IMAGES
Propaganda Analysis
How did Temperance Campaigners win over the public?
1
Emphasize the Victims
Posters depicted innocent, ragged children pleading for their fathers to leave the bar.
2
Vilify the Business
Saloon owners were drawn as greedy corporate barons getting rich off family misery.
3
Appeal to Emotion
They targeted pathos rather than logic to make people feel urgent.
The Art of Persuasion Slide 4 of 5
4. THE 18TH AMENDMENT
The Victory
"The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within the United States is hereby prohibited..."
— Ratified January 16, 1919 —
Predict the Outcome:
Banning alcohol made it illegal, but did it stop people from wanting to drink? What obstacles would law enforcement face next?
The Era of Prohibition Begins Slide 5 of 5
