Carrie Nation

Carrie Nation (often spelled Carry A. Nation; 1846–1911) was an American temperance activist best known for attacking saloons with a hatchet during the Prohibition era’s reform campaigns. Active in the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, she became a nationally recognized figure for her dramatic “smashings,” in which she destroyed bar fixtures and liquor bottles to protest alcohol’s social harms. Her raids, arrests, and courtroom appearances drew extensive press coverage and made her a symbol of militant temperance. Nation also lectured widely and sold souvenirs, including miniature hatchets, to fund her work. She remains one of temperance history’s most controversial personalities.