Topics in Chronicling America - Carrie Nation, "Saloon Smasher" and Temperance Lecturer

"Saloon-wrecker" Carrie Nation barrels through Kansas bars wielding a hatchet in the name of temperance. Run out and beaten by locals, Nation landed in thirteen jails across the state but stubbornly continued her violent assault of saloons. In 1903 she laid down her hatchet and continued her work more peacefully, speaking across the country for the temperance movement until her death in 1911. Read more about it!

The information and sample article links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). Use the Suggested Search Terms and Dates to explore this topic further in Chronicling America.

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• December 27, 1900: Carrie Nation is jailed for smashing a nude painting and mirror in a Wichita saloon.
• January 1901: Carrie makes headlines as a "Saloon Smasher" and a temperance lecturer over the next 10 years.
• June 9, 1911: Carrie dies in a Leavenworth sanatorium.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Carrie Nation, saloon smasher, temperance, home defenders
• It is important to use a specific date range if looking for articles for a particular event in order to narrow your results.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Tried to Destroy," The Wichita Daily Eagle (Wichita, KS), December 28, 1900, Page 6, Image 6, col. 1.
• "W.C.T.U. Woman is Arrested for Smashing Mirror and Picture in Saloon," The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), December 28, 1900, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5.
• "She's Still Smashing," The Wichita Daily Eagle (Wichita, KS), January 24, 1901, Page 5, Image 5, col. 1.
• "Carrie Nation, Saloon Wrecker, Whipped by Women," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), January 25, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Like a Bryan Tour," The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis, MN), February 9, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Judge Believes Mrs. Nation Insane and will Detain her Until she Promises to go Home," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), February 19, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Mrs. Carrie Nation Lands in Gutter," The Times (Richmond, VA), October 17, 1902, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Carrie Nation No Longer Wields Her Big Hatchet," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), March 1, 1903, Page 29, Image 29, col. 1.
• "Carrie Nation Pays Visit to Salt Lake," The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), April 7, 1903, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Mrs. Nation Leaves her Hatchet at Home in Kansas," The Saint Paul Globe (St. Paul, MN), June 22, 1903, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Carrie Nation at Kingswood," The Breckenridge News (Cloverport, KY), November 6, 1907, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Terrible Calamity for Tampa," The Ocala Evening Star (Ocala, FL), January 22, 1908, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "She Will Smash No More Saloons," The Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), June 10, 1911, Page 1, Image 1, col. 4.
• "Carrie Nation, Saloon's Enemy, Ends Long War," The Washington Herald (Washington, DC), June 10, 1911, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Carrie Nation: Sincere Fanatic or Seeker of Notoriety and Cash?," The Tacoma Times (Tacoma, WA), June 10, 1911, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.