Wrestling Temptation: The Quest to Control Alcohol in Georgia

Wrestling Temptation: The Quest to Control Alcohol in Georgia
Exhibit Duration
November 2017 - September 2018

No sooner had colonists arrived than they thirsted for a taste of alcohol. Colonial administrators pushed back against this desire, and so began a long battle that rages quietly in the state even today. Wrestling Temptation: The Quest to Control Alcohol in Georgia traces the struggle state leaders have faced in regulating the production, transportation, and consumption of alcohol from 1733 to the present. The exhibit explores issues of morality, economy, and personal liberty entwined with the use and abuse of alcohol. It considers what made Georgia different by paying close attention to the adoption of statewide prohibition in 1907 and the reluctance of state officials to repeal that measure even in the face waning public support and dire financial times during the 1930s. The display concludes with a reflection on modern times that examines the motivations of the temperance movement in the context of ongoing debates about the decriminalization of marijuana.