Two Decades: A History of the First Twenty Years' Work of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the State of New York

In Short

This volume serves as a formal, archival history of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) in New York State between 1874 and 1894. It traces the organization's evolution from spontaneous, local "crusades" against the liquor traffic into a highly disciplined, department-based advocacy machine. By recording the efforts of twenty-two thousand "white ribboners," the narrative captures the social and legislative impact of women organizing for moral reform. It has lasted as a primary source for historians interested in nineteenth-century social activism, women’s suffrage, and the temperance movement’s internal structure.

The Story

The narrative begins in 1873, rooted in the fervent "Crusade" in Fredonia, where a band of one hundred women marched into local saloons to pray and appeal for the end of alcohol sales. This spontaneous moral awakening quickly shifted from individual protest to organized institutional work. In 1874, the first state convention in Syracuse established a formal constitution, moving the movement toward a permanent footing. The early years focused on survival and legitimacy, as the women grappled with how to sustain the momentum of their initial rallies through administrative stability.

As the movement matured, it adopted a complex, department-led structure to address a wide array of moral and social concerns. The narrative details this transition from simple total-abstinence pledges to multifaceted campaigns involving the education of youth, the lobbying of state legislators, and the management of social welfare projects. The organization grew into an expansive network, with local chapters across every county in New York. By the mid-1880s, the focus became sharply defined: the W.C.T.U. began to exert significant influence on the state capitol, successfully campaigning for the mandatory teaching of scientific temperance in public schools and raising the age of consent for girls from ten to sixteen years.

Throughout the 1880s and early 1890s, the narrative centers on the leadership of Mary Towne Burt. Under her stewardship, the union expanded its reach into diverse areas, including the labor movement, the regulation of state fairs, and the protection of women in the workforce. The story highlights the tension between the organization’s lofty moral goals and the difficult, often frustrating reality of the political arena. Despite the eventual failure to secure a statewide prohibitory constitutional amendment, the organization found success in smaller, incremental victories, such as banning barmaids and ensuring the closing of the World’s Fair exhibit on the Sabbath.

The arc concludes at the organization’s twenty-year milestone. Having reached its "majority," the union stands as a mature, professionalized entity, deeply embedded in the civic life of New York. The narrative ends not with a victory over alcohol, but with a firm resolution to continue the struggle. The authors acknowledge that the right to vote remains elusive for women, yet they frame this as a temporary obstacle. The story leaves the reader with a sense of the movement’s internal transformation: what began as a series of emotional, prayerful visits to rum shops became a sophisticated lobbying effort, leaving a lasting imprint on the state's legislative record and the broader history of American women’s public activism.

How It Unfolds

The crusade takes root The account opens with the 1873 Fredonia revival, depicting women collectively pledging to fight the liquor trade through prayer and moral pressure. This initial phase marks the transition from private domestic piety to the public, organized defiance of the saloon culture.

Building the state organization The 1874 convention at Syracuse formalizes the structure, drafting a constitution and electing officers to unify local leagues. The narrative explains how the movement moved past its spontaneous origins to ensure longevity through a reliable, statewide administrative hierarchy.

Legislative and social expansion As the union matures, it moves beyond simple temperance toward a broader platform of social reform and public morality. This period covers the successful lobbying efforts for educational mandates, the legal protection of minors, and the regulation of public entertainment.

The professionalization of the cause The later chapters detail the creation of specialized departments, from the Loyal Temperance Legion for children to the oversight of labor issues and state fair regulations. This shift demonstrates the organization's increasing complexity and its ability to influence the daily lives of citizens through specific, targeted policy changes.

The People

Mary Towne Burt serves as the book’s central figure and spiritual anchor. As president during the period of greatest growth, she embodies the shift from the movement's early emotional fervor to its later, more rigid executive discipline. She is depicted as a tireless, often physically overtaxed leader who manages legislative battles with an unwavering sense of duty.

Esther McNeil represents the "Veteran Crusader," providing the movement with a direct link to its origins. Born in 1812, her life story—marked by personal hardship and a commitment to caring for homeless children—serves to illustrate the moral, maternal impetus that drove many women into the temperance ranks.

Ella Alexander Boole emerges as the model of the movement's intellectual expansion. A valedictorian and educator, she brings academic rigor and oratorical skill to the union, showing how the movement attracted women who were capable of holding their own in intellectual and political discourse.

Ellen Legro Tenney serves as the meticulous steward of the organization’s resources. Her ability to manage complex finances with absolute accuracy provides the structural reliability needed for a large-scale enterprise, highlighting the essential, behind-the-scenes work that sustained the more public-facing campaigns led by Burt and others.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the early method of confrontation:

"Enthusiastic Meeting Sunday Evening--Every Place where Liquor is Sold in Fredonia Visited by a Band of One Hundred Women on Monday--They Appeal to the Proprietors to Stop the Traffic--A Season of Prayer and Hymns in Rum Shops."

This headline, quoted from the Fredonia Censor, captures the initial, dramatic spirit of the movement’s early days.

Reflecting on the movement's ultimate political aspirations:

"But long before we reach our second majority the piece of paper that 'does the freeman's will as lightning does the will of God' will be placed in the hand of woman, and sin and impurity, like the shadows, will flee away."

Mary Towne Burt uses this vivid imagery to describe the necessity of the franchise in the broader crusade for social purity.

What It's Really About

The book is a study in the power of organized group identity. It explores how a collective of women, denied traditional political tools, carved out a space for themselves in the public sphere by using moral authority as their primary leverage. Beneath the surface of temperance, the work asks fundamental questions about the role of women in shaping society’s laws, the responsibility of the state to protect its most vulnerable citizens, and the efficacy of "departmental" organization in sustaining radical change. It is an argument for the idea that persistence in small, incremental actions—whether in school classrooms or legislative lobbies—can eventually fundamentally alter the character of a state.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of American grassroots movements will find this a fascinating look at the "machinery" of activism. It offers a rare, ground-level view of how a large, successful organization operated before the digital age, relying on personal correspondence, conventions, and the distribution of literature. The book is written with an earnest, devotional warmth that makes the reader feel as though they are being welcomed into the inner circle of the organization’s founders.

However, the reader must be prepared for the dense, reportorial nature of the text. Because it was written at the request of the union, it is uncritical, functioning more as a hagiography of its leaders than an objective history. The language is steeped in the religious and moral vocabulary of the late nineteenth century, which can feel repetitive or distant to modern ears. You will encounter frequent lists of committee members, rosters of officers, and descriptions of banners and prizes that may feel like administrative minutiae. Yet, if you possess the patience to wade through these records, you will be rewarded with a profound sense of the sheer, exhausting labor required to build a movement. It remains a powerful reminder of how, at a time when women were legally marginalized, they utilized their own networks to exert influence over the moral and legislative fabric of their nation.