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Carry Nation Quotes

Powerful Carry Nation for Daily Growth

About Carry Nation

Carry Amelia Moore Nation (1846-1911), an American activist and prohibitionist, was born on February 25, 1846, in Garrison, Kansas. Known for her fiery temperament and crusade against the sale and consumption of alcohol, she became a significant figure in the Women's Christian Temperance Movement (WCTU). Raised by a strict Methodist family in Kentucky, Nation developed a strong moral compass at an early age. After moving to Kansas during the tumultuous years of Bleeding Kansas, her beliefs were further shaped by the violent conflict between pro- and anti-slavery settlers. In 1877, she married David Nation, a local preacher, and they had three children together. In the late 1800s, Nation became deeply concerned about the impact of saloons on families and communities in Kansas. She joined the WCTU in 1890 and soon gained notoriety for her aggressive approach to closing down establishments serving alcohol. This included famous incidents like smashing a saloon's bar with a hatchet, an act that came to symbolize her crusade. Nation's major work was "The Social Impact of the Liquor Traffic," published in 1906. In this book, she argued passionately for the prohibition of alcohol and its positive impact on society. Her efforts eventually led to the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, establishing Prohibition in the United States. Although Carry Nation's methods were controversial, her influence on the temperance movement was significant. She died on June 9, 1911, but her legacy lived on, shaping alcohol policy for decades to come.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"If the women of America would rise up as one woman, they could prevent war."

This quote by Carry Nation suggests that if women in America were to unite and take collective action, they have the potential to influence national policies, including the prevention of war. The implication is that women hold significant power when united and engaged in political discourse, which could lead to peaceful resolutions and prevent the outbreak or continuation of armed conflict. This idea highlights the impact of organized civic activism on shaping society and governance.

"I have no fear of jail. I have been in jail many times before and shall be again."

Carry Nation, an American temperance activist, expresses her resilience and commitment to her cause in this quote. Despite repeatedly facing imprisonment for her passionate advocacy against the sale and consumption of alcohol, she shows no fear of being incarcerated again. This reflects her unwavering dedication to her beliefs, even when faced with adversity or personal consequences.

"God created wine, but Samuel Colt made purgatory a little shorter."

This quote by Carry Nation suggests that she views alcohol as a sin or a source of trouble (the concept of "purgatory" in Christianity represents a place or state of suffering for the repentance of sins), but sees firearms, invented by Samuel Colt, as a means to end such suffering more quickly. In other words, she seems to be implying that guns can bring about death more swiftly than prolonged struggle with alcohol. This reflects her well-known advocacy against saloons and the temperance movement in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

"I'm for hats and boots and things like that; it's the saloons that I am against."

Carry Nation, an American Temperance Movement leader in the early 20th century, was advocating for modest dress (hats, boots) while expressing her opposition to saloons – establishments primarily serving alcohol. In this quote, she distinguishes her support for traditional attire from her disdain for places that encourage excessive drinking and potentially harmful behavior, which were common in saloons during that time.

"The truth is, any man who goes to a saloon is there for one of two reasons - either as an owner or an inmate."

This quote suggests that men who visit bars (saloons) are either running the establishment (owners) or they are patrons (inmates). Essentially, Carry Nation argues that a saloon's clientele consists primarily of either those profiting from alcohol consumption (owners) or those being negatively affected by it (inmates). This quote is reflective of her strong stance against the saloon culture and advocacy for prohibition.

I felt invincible. My strength was that of a giant. God was certainly standing by me. I smashed five saloons with rocks before I ever took a hatchet.

- Carry Nation

Certainly, Took, Smashed, Five

I want all hellions to quit puffing that hell fume in God's clean air.

- Carry Nation

Want, Clean Air, Air, Quit

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