Free Essays on The Alcoholic Republic

The Alcoholic Republic In the book â€Å"The Alcoholic Republic†, written by W. J. Rorabaugh, expresses the impact of alcoholism on the first 50 years of American History. . From judges, doctors, women, and children, they all had a taste of the blissful intoxication that America binged on from 1790 to 1840. Young America was addicted to hard pure spirits, whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy, which to those who know alcohol where 45% alcohol, and in the language of the distillers 90 proof (7). Though the spirits where the most popular, people also drank beer, cider, and wine, but alcohol in general, regardless of its form crossed many dense barriers of the time. The touched the educated elite to the slaves who belonged to them. â€Å"The Founding Fathers, fearful that American Republic would be destroyed in a flood of alcohol â€Å" (6) caused them to take actions. The taverns, which John Adams condemned as â€Å"a weakening of religious influence† where instead actually â€Å"seed beds of the Revolution† (35) that fertilized to help bloom and grow. Inside these righteous seeds lay a growing hate against the British and the tyranny they enforced. So, in a keen sense the â€Å"good creature† sprouted the idea of revolution and independence. A thing such as Alexander Hamil ton’s whiskey tax failure was true evidence that Americans have indeed made alcohol an â€Å"American Tradition†. America’s reasons for turning to the spirits were stresses of the new industrialization, the loneliness of the frontier, and strive to build this country anew. The book is a severe eye opener; it is a serious concept that never crossed my mind. I really enjoyed most of it; other stuff was kind of boring and redundant but nevertheless I learned a lot about American History I never dreamed of conceiving.... Free Essays on The Alcoholic Republic Free Essays on The Alcoholic Republic The Alcoholic Republic In the book â€Å"The Alcoholic Republic†, written by W. J. Rorabaugh, expresses the impact of alcoholism on the first 50 years of American History. . From judges, doctors, women, and children, they all had a taste of the blissful intoxication that America binged on from 1790 to 1840. Young America was addicted to hard pure spirits, whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy, which to those who know alcohol where 45% alcohol, and in the language of the distillers 90 proof (7). Though the spirits where the most popular, people also drank beer, cider, and wine, but alcohol in general, regardless of its form crossed many dense barriers of the time. The touched the educated elite to the slaves who belonged to them. â€Å"The Founding Fathers, fearful that American Republic would be destroyed in a flood of alcohol â€Å" (6) caused them to take actions. The taverns, which John Adams condemned as â€Å"a weakening of religious influence† where instead actually â€Å"seed beds of the Revolution† (35) that fertilized to help bloom and grow. Inside these righteous seeds lay a growing hate against the British and the tyranny they enforced. So, in a keen sense the â€Å"good creature† sprouted the idea of revolution and independence. A thing such as Alexander Hamil ton’s whiskey tax failure was true evidence that Americans have indeed made alcohol an â€Å"American Tradition†. America’s reasons for turning to the spirits were stresses of the new industrialization, the loneliness of the frontier, and strive to build this country anew. The book is a severe eye opener; it is a serious concept that never crossed my mind. I really enjoyed most of it; other stuff was kind of boring and redundant but nevertheless I learned a lot about American History I never dreamed of conceiving.... Free Essays on The Alcoholic Republic The Alcoholic Republic by W.J. Rorabaugh During the nineteenth –century America was known for it’s drinking abilities. The question some people want to know is â€Å"was early nineteenth-century America really a nation of drunkards† (Rorabaugh 5)? The United States was among the most addicted of nations, that in this respect it had out stripped all of Europe, and that â€Å"no other people ever indulged, so universally.† Alcohol was looked upon as a disease like the plague and it was spreading wider and wider throughout the country. It was being considered as a growing evil. Statesman like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams weren’t worried about the use of alcohol for they drank themselves, but the excessive use. In 1821 a wealthy scholar, George Ticknor, warned Jefferson, â€Å"If the consumption of spirituous liquors should increase for thirty years to come at the rate it has for thirty years back we should be hardly better than a nation of sots† (6). This feared the Founding Fathers because they were afraid that the American republic would be destroyed in a flood of alcohol. To others, like foreign travelers they found the drinking habits of Americans deplorable. They were surprised to see how much alcohol was being consumed. A Swedish visitor, Carl D. Arfwesdon, reported a â€Å"general addiction to hard drinking† (6). The travelers were so astonished to see the extent of intemperance of the Americans. Americans drank mostly distilled liquor commonly known as spirits-whiskey, rum, and brandy. Most of these liquors were 45 percent alcohol or as we know it today as 90 proof. â€Å"During the nineteenth-century the typical American annually drank more distilled liquor than at any other time in our history† (7). Between 1800 and 1830 annual per capita of consumption increased and exceeded 5 gallons, which is tripled of today’s consumption. After the high taxation the drinking of distilled be...