This political cartoon was in favor of the Temperance movement because it easily conveyed the belief that alchohol and the effect of ardent spirits on ones body. The picture above represents all of the bad that comes out of excessive drinking and alchohol addiction, such as the destruction of the heart, liver, and stomach, and brain, and it also shows a demon-like figure taking money out of the mans pocket, as well as having the destroyed organs be hauled away by these demons. In the background, a devil seems to be fuelling the distillery, showing that evil is present with the consumption of alchohol. This image was used as propoganda in order to help influence the Temperance movement and help convince people to stop the heavy consumption of alchoholic beverages. The artists of this image is saying that excessive drinking leads to poor health and poverty, and is trying to grab the attention of the viewer in order to try and convince them to drink in moderation.
David Claypoole Johnston, Ardent Spirits, (ca. 1837-1841)
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