Source C shows that the man is going to the barman giving over a small sack and it has a label, which reads ‘weeks wages’. This shows that the men who walked into the saloons blew all their hard-earned money on drink, and never gave any to their families. There is a picture of a starving family (presumed to be the man’s family) starving without food in the house. The woman has her head slumped onto the table and the children are holding empty bowls up. This is attempted to create empathy towards the family. This meant that the man is handing over the money that he should be spending on his family. There is also a caption on the source it says ‘Paying his dues’. This shows that he is paying his wages, which is seen a membership fee. The bartender is seen as a stereotypical one because he is large, and appears to be German. This source shows that the bartender is taking in the money of the people and he is exploiting them and his till is also open, which shows that the bartender keeps collecting people’s money. The fact that he is German attempts to create a prejudice against him, as Germans were hated at that time. Grain is used to create beer, and so, if the men are drinking beer, there will be no grain for the country. This was published before the First World War, and so, had effect even during the First World War. The caption at the top says ‘Poor mans club’. This shows that anyone who joins will be stripped off his money. This source is reliable to an extent because it shows how the Anti Saloon leagues used propaganda to change people’s view and it shows their tactics. The artist looks as though he wants Prohibition to be introduced because of the way he shows that alcohol is destroying family life.
Source D shows a boy with his mother standing sad outside the doors of a saloon and they are both sad. The mother is telling the child ‘Daddy is in there…And our shoes and stockings and food are in the saloon, and they will never come out’. This is a very strong sentence and it will make families and family men alike think. This is emotionally moving, as it demonstrates that their father has been stolen from them because of alcohol, and also, drink has stolen their physiological needs, such as food and shelter. I think that this shows the woman saying it because in 1915 (when this was published), before the Volstead Act, women were gaining much more influence in society. That sentence also shows that the man goes in with the family’s money and doesn’t come out with it again (i.e. spends it on alcohol). This tries to make family men feel guilty for spending money on alcohol. This source is reliable to an extent because it shows how the Anti Saloon leagues used propaganda to change people’s view and it shows their tactics. The artist looks as though he wants Prohibition to be introduced because of the way he shows that alcohol is destroying family life. This campaign was already having success because at the time, twenty-three states had already banned alcohol.
Source C was aimed at the WASP’s – White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. Source D is aimed at families to try and stop their men going to saloons and drinking. Both sources show the selfish nature of alcohol and how the consumers of alcohol affect not only their own lives, but also lives of their close and dear ones. Both sources were also aimed at wealthy industrial businessmen like Rockefeller, as they believed wealthy industrialists could have a big influence and help with their campaign. They also aimed at congressmen, as, if the Source-Producers managed to persuade congressmen onto their side, it would be very beneficial to their cause. Also, the Sources were aimed generally at women, as the people behind these sources also wanted women’s suffrage, and they were feminists (sticking up for the rights of women). The people behind the posters were also racist and aimed at racial motivation to stop people buying alcohol from the Germans, who were the enemy at the time. The people that called for Prohibition were based in Small Town America and they had traditional views. People in Small Town America saw big cities as Cesspools (places with a lot of corruption and a lack of morals). They therefore started up the Prohibition campaign in an aim to stop this.
In conclusion, I think that the publishing of both cartoons is for the introduction of Prohibition, as they both show that destruction of family life is because of alcohol. However it is limited because it only shows one side of the coin because it doesn’t show that if Prohibition is introduced, Americas title as the land of freedom would have lost effectiveness because drinking alcohol was not seen as a privilege, rather, it was seen as a right. These sources were also produced before the introduction of Prohibition (I.e. before the 18th Amendment to the Constitution), which must have meant that the campaign was for the introduction of Prohibition. The Levers Act (1917) also helped the campaign to impose Prohibition. I think that this source was successful and the campaign it was part of was successful because Prohibition introduced in 1919.
