The temperance movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was an exception in many ways: "Temperance" refers to the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages.
However, in the context of the temperance movement, the term usually indicated complete abstinence, which means drinking no alcohol at all. The goal of the temperance movement in the United States was to make the production and sale of alcohol illegal. Supporters believed that prohibiting alcohol would solve a number of society's problems, making people safer, healthier, and more productive.
