Alcohol and American life have had a long and usually friendly relationship. Until the
mid 1800's, alcohol was the staple drink in many homes. This was mainly because of the
customs brought from Europe by the immigrants and settlers who formed our population.
Most people would think nothing of having a strong drink in the morning and wine with
every meal. Children were often given liquor before going to school. All of this began to
change in the 1800's. Early on, a few strict religious interests began to advocate
temperance, which is abstinence from alcohol. Then most major denomina…
