Prohibition was a unique period in our country’s history, beginning in 1918 with the passage of the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, a federal amendment and subsequent law that prohibited the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol throughout the United States.
But did you know that North Carolina enacted state-wide prohibition nearly a decade earlier? Learn more at “Inflamed by Spirits: North Carolina’s Role in Temperance and Prohibition,” a new, free exhibit opening Thursday, April 19 at the North Carolina State Capitol.
Prohibition and its supporters did not emerge overnight. Federal legislation was the culmination of decades of both temperance and prohibition sentiment. The exhibit examines both federal and state prohibition by looking at the temperance and prohibition movements, and seeks to explain how a moral and social movement led to sweeping legislative action.
To kick off the new exhibit, join us for a casual evening of drinks and conversation with legendary saloon smasher Carry A. Nation from 7-9 p.m. April 19. Beer, wine, and food will be served in the Capitol’s rotunda. Take a selfie with a Carry Nation reenactor, or chat with her about her mission to save you from a “drunkard’s fate” while you sip your beverage!
Tickets for the event are $20 each, can be purchased online through EventBrite at NCStateCapitol.org, and include admission, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a reproduction lapel pin based on hatchet pins that Nation sold to cover her jail fines. This event is ages 21 and up. Beer will be provided by Raleigh Brewing Company and food will be provided by Fresh Market.
Come join us for a true Throwback Thursday with legendary prohibitionist Carry Nation!
The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and function of the 1840 building and Union Square. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and located at One Edenton Street, Raleigh. For additional information please call (919) 733-4994, or visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol.