A Pledge for Happiness


After learning about protecting nations and growing democracy, my history class began learning about the social reforms that took place in the 19th-century. The protestant revival, education reform, prison reform, women's reform, and temperance movement, are all examples of reforms that arose from observed social problems. This blog post focuses on a primary source related to the temperance movement that took place in the mid-1800s.

Abstinence Pledge Card by Matthew Theobald
"Theobald, Matthew. "Abstinence Pledge Card." 1842. Accessed January 12, 2015. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/content-images/02542.27.jpg. "

     Above is an abstinence pledge card, a primary source, that supported the temperance movement that took place from the 1830s to late 19th century. The temperance movement influenced men to drink alcohol in moderation or pledge to total abstinence.

A Catholic priest in Dublin, Ireland, named Matthew Theobald, founded the Cork Total Abstinence Society in April 1838. Several men joined Theobald by signing in his abstinence book and promising to stay away from alcohol completely. Within three months of starting the society, more than 25,000 members had joined, and two months later the number jumped to 130,000. Theobald then traveled across Ireland and internationally, to Scotland and England in 1842, to convince more men to pledge abstinence and stop drinking. He also traveled to the United States in 1849 to spread awareness. By 1851, Theobald convinced as many as seven million people to pledge to total abstinence from alcohol.

In 1842, Father Matthew introduced this pledge card, signed by Theobald as president of the society. The pledge states: "I promise to abstain from all intoxicating drinks, except used medicinally and by order of a medical man, and to discountenance the cause and practice of intemperance." The card depicts a scene warning many the dangers of intemperance, such as domestic violence. Another image depicts a scene of temperance- the act leading to a happy family gathered, say, around the fireplace. This pledge card was signed by Catherine Cauty after four years of the society's founding, in September 1842, showing us that the society was still well-maintained after a long period of time.

This primary source shows us, and the members of the Abstinence Society, the benefits of staying away from drinking. The scenes depicted on the card, such as domestic violence due to intemperance, and a happy family due to abstinence, allow us to see the heavy impact drinking had on society. By analyzing the high number of members in the Abstinence Society, it is easy to see how many people had both personal and social conflicts that were caused by their bad drinking habits. However, Theobald traveled to world to teach the disadvantages of drinking and how the act of  self-control can lead to a life free of stress and conflict.