A routine day for Mary today: "eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep."
So what are the headlines? In addition to the usual war-related headlines, The Philadelphia Inquirer on that date carried the following front page article.
The United States Senate proposed the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution on December 18, 1917. Throughout 1918 the amendment made its way amongst the states until final ratification on January 16, 1919. Ultimately only two states opted out of ratification. Prohibition under the amendment took effect on January 16, 1920.
Supporters of alcohol prohibition were gaining strength throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. Prohibition was primarily supported by protestant religious sects, the Prohibition Party, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Anti-Saloon League and others. According to Wikipedia: "In a backlash to the emerging reality of a changing American demographic, many prohibitionists subscribed to the doctrine of nativism, in which they endorsed the notion that America was made great as a result of its white Anglo-Saxon ancestry. This belief fostered resentments towards urban immigrant communities, who typically argued in favor of abolishing prohibition. Additionally, nativist sentiments were part of a larger process of Americanization taking place during the same time period."
Opposition to prohibition was especially strong amongst Episcopalians, German Lutherans and Roman Catholics. With the advent of World War I German Americans were politically marginalized and many German American breweries were closed. After nearly 14 tumultuous years, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed on December 5, 1833.
Mary never mentions any personal consumption of alcoholic beverages and reportedly was a non-drinker for the remainder of her life.
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