Final answer:
The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was established in 1874 and expanded its mission to include a range of social issues like women's suffrage. It played a critical role in advocating for temperance and the eventual establishment of the Eighteenth Amendment, which inaugurated the Prohibition era in 1919.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was established in the year 1874. It started as a national women's association with a primary focus on alcohol prohibition. The mission of the WCTU quickly expanded to address broader social issues, heavily emphasizing the right to vote for women. The organization played a pivotal role in advocating for temperance and influenced societal attitudes towards alcohol, which eventually paved the way for the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1919. This amendment, reflecting the efforts of the WCTU, established prohibition, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages across the nation. The WCTU, by rallying together with other temperance organizations such as the Anti-Saloon League, not only targeted alcohol consumption due to its moral implications but also addressed issues like domestic violence and economic disruptions caused by alcohol abuse. They educated the public about the detrimental effects of alcohol on American society and successfully shifted the battle against intoxication from a local social issue to a nationwide legislative triumph.