Women's Crusade

[2] Many women in Cleveland, Ohio were inspired by a speech given by Diocletian Lewis to fight against the vices of alcohol.

[4] The goal of the crusade was to close as many saloons as possible using methods of prayer, song, and exhortation as customers walked in and out of the saloons.The women faced pushback by business owners who turned the tables on them by singing outside of the crusaders' homes and paying other women to mock them.

[8] The movement gave women the opportunity to advocate for their rights while they fought for temperance with their growing voice in the public sphere.

[10] Women marched throughout the street in the cold winter checking to make sure that no sales were made in the saloons.

The women formed distinct lines, marching on the streets to perform hymns outside of the saloons.

In one case, saloonkeeper Martin Cummins locked his saloon's doors, so the women were unable to enter.