Frances Willard was the President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She wrote many books and was a teacher. Willard strongly believed that women could “do everything”. She supported women’s rights, women’s suffrage, social purity, and other reforms. Willard also helped fight for temperance and even promoted women’s rights to become a minister and preachers.
Willard wrote books supporting social purity. She helped protect young girls and women by establishing rape laws, raising the age of consent and more. While fighting for temperance, she portrayed the liquor industry as a medium that caused crime and corruption. Wives had very few legal rights to divorce to get child custody and have financial stability. Women/wives became victims because men/husbands would get drunk from the liquor and eventually verbally and physically abused them. Willard was the first woman represented in Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol Building. That was how far she fought for women’s rights.
1. How hard was it to fight men on the temperance movement to stop the liquor from flowing?
2. How do you feel about the “purity” of teenage girls now because sexuality has become an open topic?
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