Cindi Nitschke
Dr. Weber
13 September 2006
In The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition, W. J. Rorabaugh explores the
relationship between changing drinking patterns of the early nineteenth century and the
social and economic upheaval which forged a new, more modern American character.
He ties the rising and falling consumption of distilled liquor, in particular, to the evolving
ideologies, traditions, institutions and markets of an expanding United States.
Rorabaugh establishes early on that his is not a scientific study of this relationship, but
rather, a well documented speculative discussion of the role of drinking patterns in
nineteenth century American life. This approach does not in any way, however, diminish
the appeal of his work which proves both fascinating and perceptive.
From colonial times, Americans imbibed at rates and with a frequency which
astounded outside observers, according to Rorabaugh. There were valid reasons for the
use of alcohol. Alternative beverages were scarce: water was muddy, milk was reserved
for children and juices spoiled easily. Staple foods such as corn and pork were bland and
barely palatable. Punctuating a meal with alcohol made them passable. At first, drinking
was communal and public consumption was controlled by the patriarchal social structure.
In the 1700s, however, individualism and egalitarianism associated with the Revolution
began to erode the hierarchy. The masses asserted their freedom to drink and opposed
vigorously any restrictions on alcohol. Only shortages brought on by the Revolution itself
produced a brief respite from America’s growing inebriation. By 1800, however, the
alcohol intake was again on the rise until 1830 when, says Rorabaugh, it peaked at the
highest level in American history.
In the first third of the nineteenth century, moreover, economic conditions
especially encouraged large scale drinking of distilled whiskey. Rorabaugh sees this as a
part of the normal progression from a rural, agricultural economy to a national, industrial
one. Grain surpluses and the introduction of the perpetual still allowed for many small
distilleries and cheap plentiful whiskey, provided an exchangeable commodity for the
cash-starved western regions, hastened the decline of the rum market and enlarged the
drinking public. Eventually, the invention of the steam boat and the construction of
canals helped create a national market for both whiskey and grain thereby stabilizing
prices and allowing only large, efficient distillers to survive.
The ongoing economic transformation gave rise to more than opportunity. It
produced psychological and sociological motivation to drink. Whether it stemmed from
the isolation of the rural frontier life or the alienation of the craftsman or factory worker,
stress led to excessive consumption, according to Rorabaugh. Even the affluent and
successful had reason to drink if they, too, failed to achieve their aspirations due to over
or under ambition. Excessive drinking changed from a communal binge to episodic, solo
sprees, says Rorabaugh, and correlated with stress-related motivation.
The negative effects of increased alcohol consumption did not go unnoticed,
however. Early attempts by ministers and doctors to combat alcohol had little success.
By 1810, though, a new group of religious leaders found a more receptive public--one
energized by moral arguments, militant temperance societies, and virulent propaganda.
Many individuals were convinced that alcohol was destructive to individual freedom and
the public good. Yet another persuasive anti-liquor argument claimed spending on
alcohol squandered success. By the 1820s American excessive drinking subsided.
Rorabaugh insightfully and convincingly speculates that these contradictory arguments
over morality and materialism brought about that transformation and ultimately created a
new American character.