NEAL S. DOW

Good evening, the name’s Neal, Neal Dow. Originally, from Portland, the center of the rum trade with the West Indies, I have seen the evils of alcohol first hand as a young child. When I took the office as the governor of Maine, it was a goal of mine to make a movement towards temperance, realizing that I could more effectively reform Maine with legislature. In 1851, I passed a law through our legislature that became known as the Maine Law. Maine became the first and leading “Dry State” with many states to follow. The Maine Law prohibited the production and sale of alcoholic beverages within the state. I have pushed my ideals of temperance and prohibition on a national and international scale, even as I faced much opposition to my legal opinions. For example, Maine is full of immigrant drinkers and other middle-class drinkers. Their opposition led to the rum riot, in a sad attempt for them to acquire alcohol. Despite this, I firmly believe that reform in the name of temperance is still possible.