1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Ye, 2 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: welcome back to the show Ridiculous Historians. As always, thank 3 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: you so much for tuning in. We're talking about riots, 4 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: not the zoot suit riot which I was thinking about earlier. Right, 5 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: he has are the only good kind of riots, right, 6 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: fun kind of riots, you know, speaking of a fun 7 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: kind of riot. Uh, you know, we've got our own 8 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: one man riot. Our super producer Max Williams with us 9 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: as always. I'm Ben, I have never been to Maine, nol. 10 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:00,639 Speaker 1: Have you been to Maine? No, it seems like all 11 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: of our friends are going to Maine lately. Um, our 12 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: buddy a how Andrew Howard shout out, Um, he grew 13 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: up in Maine and he was just out there. And 14 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: then our buddy Sean was just in Maine. And uh 15 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 1: and also buddy, our buddy Chuck was just in Maine. 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: Or was seeing all these Instagram pictures of plenty of 17 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: just lobster rolls for days, drawn butter and whoopee pies. 18 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: It just seems like a magical land of of of 19 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: delicious foods. That's what it seems like to me. Yes, 20 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: and we are now technically back on our show for 21 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: every state horse. Uh, this I propose will be our 22 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: main episode. What do you think are you down? Most? 23 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: Definitely our main episode for the day, you know doing 24 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: Thank you Max, Thank you man. It's very kind. Yeah, no, 25 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: it's true Maine, you know, like with an e. I 26 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: grew up in a town in Georgia called Augusta, and 27 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: I was always tickled to think there is a sister 28 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: city to Augusta in Maine called Augusta may And I'm 29 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: sure there's Augusta's all over elsewhere, but that's the one 30 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: I also remember from my youth, my friends from Maine, 31 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: including the infamous Andrew Howard, who does awesome work on 32 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: our peer podcast Saver. Check it out if you like 33 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: stories about food, science and culture. Andrew is, like many 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: main Natives, one of the people as a similar question 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: to yours nol Their version is Portland, Oregon versus Portland's Maine, 36 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: and that's where our story takes place. Today. We're going 37 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: to meet a guy who's kind of a pill. His 38 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: name is Mayor Neil Dow and in a way, as 39 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: we will find today, he often called the Napoleon of Temperance, 40 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: was one of the primary driving forces for what would 41 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: eventually become for a short while of federal law banning alcohol. 42 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: So we're going to figure out how Maine and how 43 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: something called the rum Riot of eighteen fifty five lad 44 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: to prohibition, or how it was all wrapped up in 45 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: this bigger story. Let's so, let's let's go to Let's 46 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: go to New England. An excellent article by main History 47 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: helps us get a grasp of the context here. So 48 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: in like By, there were a lot of changes in 49 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: religious ideas and cultural attitudes in New England overall, not 50 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: just Maine. And this led to a lot of reform 51 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: because you know, there was quite literally a Puritanical society 52 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: there for some time, and as the more strict views 53 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: of Puritans began to hold less sway, Protestants started to think, 54 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: you know what, it's totally possible for any person to 55 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: reach perfection in their lives and therefore reach paradise after 56 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: they pass away. So we're gonna reform ourselves. We're gonna 57 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: reform our communities. We're gonna try to be better people. 58 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: We're gonna fight for women's suffrage, we're gonna abolish slavery, 59 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: We're going to try to take care of the less 60 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: fortunate members of society, and a lot of people took 61 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: active roles leading these movements. So by the second decade, 62 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: by eighteen twenty and going forward, New England had a 63 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: secret Despite these reforms, people were talking about it. New 64 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: England especially was seen as sort of a focal point 65 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: for what people believed was America's growing problem with alcohol consumption. 66 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: And honestly, people drink a lot back then, Like it 67 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: might surprise you if you accidentally traveled back in time 68 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: to just see how regularly people are getting souced. We 69 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: know that, like it's back to the colonial days, right, 70 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: doesn't surprise me. And even before the colonial days, when 71 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: like meat or whatever in the medieval time was just 72 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: a substitute for like filthy water. You know, people were 73 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: basically just drinking it to to stay hydrated, but also 74 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: a little counterintuitives, as we know that alcohol dehydrates you. 75 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean apparently they were even like drunk 76 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: kids kind of like you know, carousing around on the streets. 77 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: I mean, it was absolute bed lump. I totally understand. 78 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: But a quick question for you, the idea of temperance, right, 79 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: temperance doesn't necessarily mean abstinence, temperance just means like measured use, right, uh, 80 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: temperance you can use things in a temperate way and 81 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: like a moderate way. But but the Temperance movement had 82 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: a couple of different positions, sort of on a spectrum. 83 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: So they would be dedicated to promoting moderate use of alcohol, 84 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: like hey, have a few drinks at dinner or at 85 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: a party, but not constantly every day. More often than not, though, 86 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: the Temperance Movement advocated for teetotally, for complete abstinence from liquor. 87 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: A bunch of teetotalitarians they were. But again I get it. 88 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: I mean it was a problem. You know, people were 89 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: losing their jobs, people were just absolutely kind of like 90 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: wasting away, and and even like homelessness became. I mean 91 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: it really was kind of a new, uh, real, real, 92 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: real problem that was sweeping the country. And children were 93 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: running around drunk. I know, it's wild. Uh. And and 94 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: this was a reaction to that. So while maybe at 95 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: the end of the day there was some overreach happening, 96 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: I completely understand. And it was associated, like you said, Ben, 97 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: with stuff like abolitionism and um, women's suffrage. It was 98 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: just the idea to make the world the country first 99 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: and foremost a better place. So we started to see 100 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: groups like the Temperance Watchmen of Durham, Maine popping up. 101 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: That was one of the first that was formed around 102 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: eighty eight. And the idea there was just to you know, 103 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 1: kind of lived lead by example, become the sort of 104 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: moral imperative that others would look to to model their 105 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: lives after, and they would kind of be able to 106 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: arrest back, you know, control of of the social conditions 107 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: um that had kind of gone off the rails by 108 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: encouraging moderation of drinking. So we weren't quite at teetotalitarianism yet, 109 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: which is the term that I just made up. So 110 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: by the mid century in Portland, Maine, we've got Neil 111 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: dow Uh, that is the mayor who we spoke of earlier. 112 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: He began to adopt a much more aggressive tactic in 113 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: this battle against alcoholism. He decided he was going to 114 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: take this to the state House. Uh, and instead of 115 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: changing people's attitudes by you know, encouraging temperance and leading 116 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: by example, he was gonna do that thing that we 117 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: now know never really works super well, um, which was 118 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: to change the laws and tell people what they could 119 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: not do so, rather than telling people to maybe drink 120 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: a little less, he branded all drinkers as rum dealers. 121 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: That was a a term of abuse that was hurled 122 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: around at the time. Yeah, this is the thing. Dal 123 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: went especially hard in the paint here. He quickly left 124 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: the moderates behind, including people like the governor at the time, 125 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: William King, who loved a good glass of wine. He 126 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: founded the first statewide temperance Association. Again this from the 127 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: main history dot org website. Let's learn a little bit 128 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: more about Neil all right. So Neil is born to 129 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: a Quaker family, a pretty well to do Quaker family 130 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 1: in Portland, Maine, in March March eighteen o four, and 131 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: after he gets out of high school he enters his 132 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: dad's tanning business. It's very common at this time in 133 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: history for people to join a family business. At the time, 134 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:53,439 Speaker 1: Portland's is a booming trade center, and it's known in 135 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: particular for being involved in the rum trade with the 136 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: West Indies, and the economic system was something like this. 137 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: The people of Portland, or the economy of Portland would 138 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: trade its lumber and the products of its fisheries for 139 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: rum and molasses. Molasses got turned into rum in these 140 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: distilleries in Maine. Portland, Maine alone by itself had seven 141 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: different distilleries. And so you know how you can walk 142 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: through parts of New York City and you'll see a 143 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: Starbucks literally every block. That's the situation with booze joints 144 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: in Portland, Maine in the eighteen hundreds. You couldn't not 145 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: find a saloon or a tavern on every street. And 146 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: if you didn't somehow run into a saloon or a tavern, 147 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: you know, a bar basically, then you could just pop 148 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: into a grocery store because they would also sell you liquor. 149 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: And this upset now because he saw he saw this 150 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: clear correlation between over consumption of alcohol and all sorts 151 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: of problems in his community. He hated alcohol since day one. 152 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: This was first day stuff to him. He also hated 153 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: slavery because he believed that rum and slavery fed off 154 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: of one another. He had a good point, because rum, 155 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:18,479 Speaker 1: the slavery system, and the sugar economy fueled the triangle 156 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: trade between the Caribbean, the US, and the African continent 157 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: back then. In general, Americans drink get this three times 158 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: as much as they do today, which just boggles the mind, 159 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: how do people get anything done? I can't imagine again, 160 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: like we said that even back to medieval times when 161 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: people were just drinking all day every day like as 162 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: their beverage, I think that they must just develop higher 163 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: tolerances and also just blast your liver. People died a 164 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: lot younger in these days too, um so Ben, just 165 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,599 Speaker 1: just to clarify real quick. So this triangle trade, you know, 166 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: because that was that was what facilitated the slave trade 167 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: as well, and because of the roots, correct, that's where 168 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: the slaves would be taken you know, to the US 169 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: on those roots, Is that right? Yeah? You can also 170 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: see this referred to as the colonial molasses trade. This 171 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 1: part of it would happen is slave traders based in 172 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: New England would bring rum to the African continent and 173 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: they would use that to purchase enslaved people. And then 174 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: those people who have been enslaved were brought to the 175 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: West Indies and they were sold to sugarcane plantations where 176 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: they were forced to work harvesting sugar that made molasses 177 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: that went to New England into those distilleries, got turned 178 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: into rum and then sold back on the African continent 179 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: rents and repeat in god diabolical way. That makes sense. 180 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: So again, like his heart's in the right place, he's 181 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: seeing a real problem. Um. That that figures into you know, 182 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: those kind of like top tier problems that we were addressing, 183 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: that even the women's temperance movements were addressing. Um. So 184 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: this is a social justice issue at heart, or at 185 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: least where his heart is. Maybe he goes a little 186 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,559 Speaker 1: too hard in the paint, like you said, ben Um, 187 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: but he becomes known as the Napoleon of temperance. Um 188 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: at the age of twenty three, by the way, he 189 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: founded the main Temperance Society, and he was absolutely instrumental 190 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: in getting the twenty eight gallon law passed in eighty six, 191 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: according to an author named Kate McCarty, who writes that 192 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: this law prohibited the sales of alcohol in less than 193 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: twenty eight gallont quantities to everyone except doctors. H And 194 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: that meant that the super wealthy could afford to buy alcohol, 195 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,599 Speaker 1: but the average folks couldn't. So it was, you know, 196 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: obviously a bit of a classist kind of law, but 197 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 1: I would imagine that it definitely, you know, was effective 198 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: to some degree in the same way as you know, 199 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 1: we maybe had folks have folks in bigger cities selling 200 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,839 Speaker 1: like loose cigarettes, which is totally illegal. Um, you had 201 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: shops called tippling shops that sold single drinks. That's where 202 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: the average people would would be getting their booze. But 203 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,839 Speaker 1: they were always you know, targeted and shut down. And 204 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: these were essentially like the earlier forms of speakeasies. Well, 205 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: booze wasn't completely illegal, you couldn't sell it in such 206 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: small amounts. And he kind of cut his political teeth 207 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: on policies like this, uh, and became associated, you know, 208 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 1: with the temperance movement and what would ultimately become prohibition. Yeah. Yeah, he. 209 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: I want to share this anecdote because I think it's 210 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: I think it gives us a glimpse into the workings 211 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: of the man's mind. Writing for the Irish Times, uh, 212 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: we found this pretty fascinating and a little bit disturbing 213 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: instance of just how unmoderate Dal was. Nathan Mannion, in 214 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: the article The Irish who instigated the Portland's Rum Riots, 215 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,599 Speaker 1: notes that Dal kneeled Down hated alcohol so much that 216 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: when he was promoted to fire chief once upon a time, 217 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: he let the local liquor store burn to the ground. 218 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: Instead of putting out the fire, he just watched it blaze. 219 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: This guy was not playing around, and his stance found support. 220 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: He was elected the mayor of Portland, Maine, in eighteen 221 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: fifty one, and as soon as he became mayor, he 222 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: went to the state legislature of Maine and persuaded them 223 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: to pass a prohibition law. This means that Maine becomes 224 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: the very first state in the Union to ban alcohol. 225 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: Like you said, there was a bit of class and 226 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: classicism wrapped up in the way this law was applied. 227 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: There were exceptions. You could buy or sell alcohol for medical, 228 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: mechanical or manifest acturing purposes, and if you wanted to 229 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: do any of that, you had to have a special 230 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: license that exempted you from the you know, the hoi 231 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: polloi who would just be using alcohol recreationally. So that 232 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: was downright draconian about this. He went to the people, 233 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: the good alcohol business folk of Portland's and he said, look, 234 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: you got two weeks to sell your alcohol out of 235 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: this state before we start cracking down. Other states caught on, 236 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: Massachusetts says, hey, that's a pretty good idea. Let's model 237 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: our own reforms after what they're doing in Maine. So 238 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: in a way, as main History notes, the States seemed 239 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: to be living up to its motto, which I did 240 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: not know. I don't know if you guys knew this motto, 241 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: diriggio I lead. What is deriggio? Is that like excelsior, 242 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: Like this is one of these weird words that only 243 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: gets thrown around by eccentric billionaires. Yeah, it's Latin. It 244 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: means I direct or, I guide. Excelsior is Latin two 245 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: in them. Yes, excelsior it's Latin for higher. So this 246 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: is where the guy earns his nickname, the Napoleon of Temperance, 247 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: and he starts promoting his approach, his no excuses, hard 248 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: nosed approach to prohibition, both across the country and across 249 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: the world. But here's the thing. If you've listened to 250 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: our earlier episodes on Prohibition stories, or if you've checked 251 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: out some of the stuff on stuff they don't want 252 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: you to know about the shenanigans the US government and 253 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: organized crime got up to during alcohol Prohibition, you know 254 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: that making laws like this don't really work. And that's 255 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: not a moral point. It's just that the main law, 256 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: like the later National Prohibition Law, didn't stop everyone from drinking. 257 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: People in Maine found ways around it. In Smithsonian, Katschner 258 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: specifically cites a article in the Portland's Press Herald by 259 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: Kelly Bouchard, and Bouchard goes deep into how people got 260 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: around this law. Some folks would just brew booze at home. 261 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: That wasn't uncommon at all, and they would sell it 262 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: to their neighbors out of their kitchens. Farmers, if they 263 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: had a surplus of fruit, would make hard cider or wine. 264 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: And when people were given fines for violating the law, 265 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: they just treated it as a business expense. You know, 266 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: what's that old saying. I ran into it again recently 267 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: and I thought about how true it is. If the 268 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: punishment for a crime is a fine, Is that then 269 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: not a law that only applies to the poor exactly? 270 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: Is um? And I understand It's It's a tricky thing 271 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: to discuss, Isn't it bad? Because the most visible folks 272 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: that are experiencing negative comes because of alcohol consumption are 273 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: the poor. You know, They're the ones that are in 274 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: the street, They're the ones that are getting into fights. 275 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 1: They're the ones that are potentially, you know, causing mayhem. 276 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: You know, Um, and in the most visible ways. But 277 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: you know, the folks that are drinking behind closed doors 278 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: perhaps and abusing their spouses maybe or just maybe even 279 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: their children, they're gonna be the ones that are able to, 280 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: you know, keep it indoors and then be a little 281 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: more shielded from that kind of thing. It makes sense, 282 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: on the one hand, from like a very kind of 283 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: primitive way of of addressing a problem like this. It's 284 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: something that we still see today. Uh, folks that are 285 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: more wealthy and more powerful are able to kind of 286 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 1: keep doing whatever they want um for the most part, 287 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: behind closed doors, even if there's a law that that's 288 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: supposedly supposed to affect everyone the same. Yeah, exactly. It's 289 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: always laws for the but not for me, as people say. 290 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: And it's weird because some of the first non Yankee 291 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: fortunes came from brewing right or from the hundreds and 292 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: hundreds of kitchen bars that appeared after about eighteen fifty one, 293 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: and the growing middle class still enjoyed an occasional drink. 294 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: But because the growing middle class was largely a Yankee demographic, 295 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: they started to look at what they viewed as excessive 296 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 1: drinking to be a hallmark of foreigners, or a problem 297 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: with the utes, the youths, or a problem with lower 298 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: class people. Dow, we've painted him in a somewhat sympathetic, 299 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: if driven light. He's against the dangers of widespread alcohol abuse. Check. 300 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: People can't agree with that. He's against the horrors and 301 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: atrocities of slavery. Check. I think we can all agree 302 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:53,199 Speaker 1: with that. He was also, however, opposed to immigration, especially 303 00:19:53,840 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: immigration from Ireland and Portland. Maine in particular had a 304 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: pretty sizeable population of Irish immigrants. They could tell that 305 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: he had beef. They were definitely feeling the crunch because 306 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: this law disproportionately impact this part of the population. Like 307 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: you said, he had that two week grace period right 308 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: after the legislation goes through, And during that two week 309 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: grace period, all the bars, the public houses, saloons, taverns, distilleries, 310 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: you name it. They get shut down and the only 311 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: things left, the only outfits left selling booze, are a 312 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: small number of illegal things called grog shops. I don't 313 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,919 Speaker 1: know how I feel about that work. Well, yeah, grog, 314 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,640 Speaker 1: it's funny. Grog, if I'm not mistaken, is specifically refers 315 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: to a concoction made with rum. Um. A grog is 316 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: like there there are tinky drinks with grog in the name, 317 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: which often consists of rum and other um alcohols you know, 318 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: mixed with some sort of fruit juice and all of that. UM. 319 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's true. And this was these were the 320 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: places where working class and immigrant um communities would hang out. 321 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: And it was you know, these were like more localized 322 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: in their neighborhoods UM. And so it essentially was by 323 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: targeting these after hours grog shops. Uh, they were targeting 324 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: those communities as well. And not to mention that around 325 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: eleven percent of the entire city's population were Irish immigrants, 326 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:31,679 Speaker 1: and that's around twenty one thousand people. Uh. And they 327 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: were you know, fleeing their homeland because of the uh 328 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,120 Speaker 1: the famine, um, the Great Famine. So they were essentially 329 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: you know, coming for a better life um. And they 330 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: lived in an area called Munjoy Hill, which was a 331 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: little bit worse for wear and felt like a slum 332 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: kind of you know, especially to the police and lawmakers. 333 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: And this was like ground zero for searching for all 334 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: of this contraband liquor. But again, it was like a 335 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 1: de facto kind of targeting of immigrants. Yeah, yeah, very 336 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: much so. And you know, life is tough for a 337 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: lot of these folks who have immigrated around twenty one 338 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: thousand people at the time. A lot of these folks 339 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: had survived the Great Famine and made it out and 340 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: made it to the US. I'm just saying, like I 341 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 1: wouldn't I wouldn't fall into the into the error of 342 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 1: stereotyping these folks as like a bunch of raging drunkards, 343 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: you know, which Dal definitely did. They weren't. They were. 344 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: They were people making a living like anyone else. I 345 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: want to I want to double back, really because I 346 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: you you're definitely right, and just want to clarify what 347 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: I said earlier. I wasn't implying that like all poor 348 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: people were carousing drunken in the streets. I was just 349 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: saying that, like they were maybe the most visible, the 350 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: ones that were problematic would likely be from poorer populations, 351 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,959 Speaker 1: yet would therefore maybe be the most visible and therefore 352 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: be seen as the root of the problem, And the 353 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: richies that could get drunk behind closed wars would not 354 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: be as visible and would not maybe be lumped in 355 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: with that for other reasons too. But that was what 356 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 1: I was getting. What I'm pointing out is that dow 357 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: was racist. That's what I'm pointing out. So he completely agreed. 358 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: He in fact this the sidebars getting to. He in 359 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: fact later went to Ireland himself and he said, this 360 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: a glorious country, Ireland is, but the people are reduced 361 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: to a condition of the most extreme poverty, largely by whiskey. 362 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: So at the very least he is oversimplifying a very 363 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: complicated situation. This was consistent though he wasn't switching sides. 364 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: This was almost identical to public statements he had made 365 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: in Portland while he was campaigning, and he he had this, 366 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: he popularized this trope, this idea of a liquor swilling foreigner. Again, 367 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: as reported by Irish Times, it was his stereotype. Um, 368 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: I don't know, you know, it reminded me of that 369 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: eighties stereotype of the so called welfare queen that didn't 370 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: really hold up to scrutiny and his his stereotype completely 371 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: ignored the fact that more than three million Irish people 372 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: twenty years ago had subscribed to a different abstinence society, 373 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: one called Friar Matthews, and many of those folks later 374 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: moved to the US and we're fighting for the temperance 375 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: movement in the United States. But they didn't agree with 376 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: dal necessarily because they said, look, if you want people 377 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: to abstain from drinking or abstain from hard liquor, you 378 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,120 Speaker 1: should help them do it of their own free will 379 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: instead of coercing them. And so these folks and many 380 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: other folks honestly were turned off by what they saw 381 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: as Dao's lack of what would you call it compassion, 382 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: empathy or is hardline approach. They thought he was alienating 383 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: more people when he could be helping them. Absolutely, and 384 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: I mean it's very clear from what you just said, Ben, 385 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: that these were that this was an unfair stereotype and 386 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: that there you know that, just like any other group 387 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: of people, it contains multitudes, and three million of those 388 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: multitudes were folks that wanted to support abstinence or at 389 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: the very least, temperance, right. But it's so important to 390 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 1: to make that distinction. But we we've seen time and 391 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: time again and things like the War on drugs and 392 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 1: what ultimately became the huge national embarrassment that was abstinence. 393 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:36,959 Speaker 1: It just doesn't work when you tell people what they 394 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: can't do. It's much better to give people the tools 395 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: they need to do for themselves and to fix themselves 396 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: and to lead better lives rather than to completely banned 397 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: something because a people that want to do what they 398 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: want to do are going to figure out a way 399 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: to do it. And if you make it more difficult 400 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: to do, that's when you start seeing the criminal element 401 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: sneak in. That's like when you start seeing things like 402 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: with prohibition, what the government like reasoned a bunch of 403 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: alcohol with like methanol m I think, and then you 404 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: start seeing people getting killed and getting out of hand. 405 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: It's like what we see today with you know, tainted 406 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: drugs on the street. It just doesn't work. And it 407 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: also leads to simmering resentment for those that uh seek 408 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: to kind of impose these type of draconian measures on folks. 409 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: And that's when we get to Dow's reelection campaign in 410 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty two. He lost because you know, Irish people 411 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,919 Speaker 1: can vote too, and he blamed it on them, uh, 412 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: supposedly illegal voting by Irish does it sure does sound 413 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: real familiar, not even from that distant history, right like 414 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: maybe like less than a year ago. And this is 415 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 1: all documented very meticulously in a nineteen sixty one book 416 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 1: by Frank Byrne called Profit of Prohibition. Kneeled down his crusade. 417 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, okay, so we promised you are riot folks, 418 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: and and here we go. Dow does get re elected. 419 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: He loses that first reelection campaign in fifty two, but 420 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: in fifty five he is elected again. He's only in 421 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: office for about two months before the Portland's rum Riot occurs. 422 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 1: The rum Riot goes down on June two, eighteen fifty five. 423 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: It involves a lot of Irish and German residents of Portland's. 424 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: They felt unfairly targeted by the prohibition law, and they 425 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: learned that Dow had stored sixteen hundred dollars worth of 426 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: alcohol in a vault under city Hall. And I gotta 427 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: say this, I listened to a lot of MPR. I 428 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: love it. And ever since I was a kid, there's 429 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 1: always this report, you know, when they do the numbers 430 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: and uh they talked about how the Dow is up 431 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: or down. And I was when I was really young, 432 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: I for some reason was convinced that it was like 433 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 1: the spiritual idea, like the Doo, the Tao of of Pooh, 434 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 1: or whatever. Yeah, yeah, I really thought it was I 435 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 1: thought it was that for a long time. And again 436 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: I was very young, and I thought, well, that's so 437 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,360 Speaker 1: nice that they have a spiritual focus. I was wrong. 438 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: They're talking about the DJOS stock market. But I I 439 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: just bring that up because it's it's knocking around in 440 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: my head. And this is also where this Dow, this 441 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: version of the Taos starts to go down. So they're 442 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: not happy about this, these folks who feel like they've 443 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: been targeted. There's a small fortune worth of booze just 444 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: under lock and key in city hall. Do you understand why? 445 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: Because in my mind, you know, like the most uh 446 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: inflammatory version of the story is the Dow was act 447 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: like a total hypocrite, was a secret lush that would 448 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: have been amazing. I do not think that is what 449 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: was the case. But why store all this booze? Because 450 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I know there was a law that allowed 451 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: for the storage of booze for medicinal purposes, but even 452 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: that seems really vague and mechanical. Alcohol. Yes, so he 453 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: had earlier in spring of the same year, he had 454 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: authorized the City of Portland to purchase this sixteen hundred 455 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: dollars worth of alcohol purely or officially we would say, 456 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: for distribution to doctors and pharmacies. And he did this unilaterally, 457 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: not through a committee, which means that technically speaking, he 458 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: broke the laws that he himself supported. And this was 459 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: the real hypocrisy to the Irish population at the time 460 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: in Maine. This is this is pretty interesting. I don't 461 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: know what you guys think about this, but at the 462 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: time in Maine, any three random citizens could vultron up 463 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: or you know, just team up, make a supergroup, go 464 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: to a judge and ask for a search warrant if 465 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: they believed any crime in being committed. So if you 466 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: were listening and you dear ridiculous historian or hanging out 467 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: with Max Noel and yours truly in Maine in this time, 468 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: then we wouldn't even need all four of us. We 469 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: could just get together and say, hey, hey, uh do 470 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 1: our Scooby Doo kids impression, like, hey, I think there's 471 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: a crime going on, Let's go find a judge. That's 472 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: nuts that you could do that. I I can't believe 473 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: people didn't abuse that power. It's almost like that thing 474 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: with the pottery, you know, with the with the Greeks 475 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: or rather ostracism, like it didn't take Uh, it didn't 476 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: take a huge majority to to make that happen. Uh. 477 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: And it was, as we know, as we found out 478 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: that episode abused from time to time. So uh, this 479 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: escalated and on June the second, they Irish representatives asked 480 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: for and received a search warrant from that local judge, 481 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: and then that very same day a small crowd started 482 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: to gather outside of city hall. Um. The men showed 483 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: the warrant at the door and were had to be 484 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: allowed in to search the premises, and the police initially 485 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: refused them, which was you know, that's not how the 486 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: law works. It's a weird law though, and it been 487 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: itself seems very very unorthodox. Yeah, it is very unorthodox. 488 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: It's a good way to put it. And DALs violation. 489 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: You know, it was not not the end of the world. 490 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: It was a technical violation. But if you were someone 491 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: who wanted to buy liquor in this place and you couldn't, 492 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: you can understand how this seems like a smoking gun 493 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: of hypocrisy. There's even uh an excerpt from a local 494 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: newspaper at the time. It's got great snark. We found 495 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: this through the work of a j Herman who wrote 496 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: a paper called demon Rum Devious Politics. The paper called 497 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: upon the citizens of Portland, by virtue of Neil Dow's law, 498 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: to steal Neil Dow's liquors and pour them into the street. 499 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 1: And people were like, hey, he's breaking his own law. 500 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: Forget this guy, and uh. As they were as they 501 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: were gathered, like you said, the crowd started to grow 502 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: and grow and grow, mostly Irish people, but not all 503 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: Irish people. And then they started throwing rocks at the 504 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: building at city Hall. And the report from the Eastern 505 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: Arcus said that occasionally during the evening, stones and brick 506 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: bats were thrown against the door of the liquor store 507 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: parentheses the storage arean City Hall, breaking the glass and 508 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: sashes and otherwise injuring the door. And DW calls out 509 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: the militia, and he doesn't play around at all. He 510 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: doesn't try to talk to people. He just orders them 511 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: to shoot into the crowd. This is quickly going sideways. 512 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: There is a twenty two year old sailor named John 513 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 1: Robbins from dear Isle who breaks a hole in the 514 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: door of the liquor vault, unlocks it and is instantly 515 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: killed in a volley of gunfire. The crowd is dispersing 516 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: because you know, people generally speaking don't want to die, 517 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 1: but the militia continues to fire and so seven more 518 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: people are injured. On a tragic historic footnote, poor young 519 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: John Robbins was set to get married the very next 520 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: day and never made it sad and this is ultimately 521 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 1: what led to the dow going down, yep, way down. 522 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: He became kind of a pariah. I mean, he was 523 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: definitely seen as the villain in this because he ordered 524 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 1: the militia to shoot into the crowd, and he clearly 525 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: had no remorse for what he had done. Uh and 526 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: for the part that he played in escalating this riot, 527 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 1: rather than you know, maybe you know, using some rhetoric 528 00:33:57,560 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: to kind of chill things out a little bit. But 529 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: this guy's see like he was a creature of extremes. 530 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: Uh So, this very much feels within his character. And 531 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: he looked at all, like you said, throughout his political career, 532 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: he seemed to look at these folks immigrants largely. Maybe 533 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,760 Speaker 1: it was through the lens of of considering them degenerate drunks, 534 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, it was just 535 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,800 Speaker 1: a reason for him to kind of other people, you know, 536 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 1: and he at the end of the day was, like 537 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: you said, just a racist and a xenophobe. He was 538 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 1: ultimately acquitted of the charges that he'd obtained this alcohol illegally, 539 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: but surprise, surprise, he lost reelection by quite a wide margin. Yeah, 540 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: don't true, your constituents exactly, don't do that. It's bad, 541 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: bad look. Um and uh, surprise surprise again. About a 542 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 1: year later, Maine repealed these draconian prohibition laws. Then, in 543 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:56,399 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty one, at the age of fifty seven, dw 544 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 1: enlisted as a colonel in the thirteenth Main Infantry to 545 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: fight in the Civil War. Um, he they're kind of 546 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: maybe got his dream came true. He was wounded, captured, 547 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 1: and then became a general, So he repaired his reputation 548 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: a bit. It did repair his reputation to some degree. 549 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: It was sort of a you know, even though the 550 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: rum riot obviously a big deal locally, wasn't nearly as 551 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,319 Speaker 1: big a story as you know, be becoming a war 552 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: hero injured in the line of duty. He did return 553 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: to to Maine and he never held public office again, 554 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,719 Speaker 1: though he did try to run for governor and for 555 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: the presidency of the US on the prohibition ticket, and 556 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: he continued to push for prohibition for the rest of 557 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: his life until he died at the ripe old age 558 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: of ninety three, uh in eighteen seven. I've got a 559 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: little bit of political advice for all our aspiring officials, 560 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 1: fellow ridiculous historians. Generally speaking, if you want to be 561 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: successful in winning over hearts and minds, it's good to 562 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: stand for something. It's good to run for something instead 563 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:14,240 Speaker 1: of against something. And running on one issue doesn't always 564 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: cut the mustard or dilute the rum. That's what grog was, 565 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: by the way, Originally it was rum diluted with water 566 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: naval drink. Weird exactly the episode on it, but exactly 567 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:28,439 Speaker 1: I'm used to hearing it in a tiki drink names. 568 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,720 Speaker 1: You're right, absolutely was like Pirates of the Caribbean type 569 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: total references. So so this is this is the thing. 570 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: Because he is only running on an oppositional platform, and 571 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: because you know, he authorized militia to fire on civilians. 572 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: He never attains office again, as he said, but he 573 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: did leave a legacy because means prohibition experiment was a harbinger, 574 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,240 Speaker 1: was foreshadowing and what would later layout across the United States. 575 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,799 Speaker 1: I almost said the United Nations keep it in max. 576 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 1: It will play out after the eight Amendment is added 577 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: to the U. S Constitution, and tons and tons and 578 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:17,960 Speaker 1: tons of people will go on to try to find 579 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: ways to get around the restrictions, ways to dodge the law. 580 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: We see a renaissance, a golden age for organized crime. 581 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: People make fortunes off bootlegging. One of my favorite examples 582 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: I think was the the grape juice concentrate that was 583 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: sold to people. You guys, it was sold to people, 584 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: and it had instructions on it that essentially said, do 585 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,279 Speaker 1: not do the following things because if you do, it 586 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 1: will create wine. Okay, streight, which is basically instructions for 587 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: how to me. Now, of course everyone's going to do 588 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: the thing. Don't unfold it and do the following things 589 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: because you might accidentally sleep in it. Right. So it's 590 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: like if you get pills that say taking these while 591 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 1: drinking alcohol may cause drowsiness. Uh, please don't operate a 592 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 1: motor vehicle. That's how you know, those are the fun ones. 593 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,320 Speaker 1: That's what people tell me. That's what people tell me. 594 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 1: But this, this story is often forgotten. I think when 595 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: people look at the larger problems of caused by prohibition, 596 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,839 Speaker 1: whether or not you yourself enjoy a tipple now and then, 597 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:37,240 Speaker 1: The fact is that there were a lot of serious, 598 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 1: serious issues with the way the concept of prohibition was 599 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:46,319 Speaker 1: rolled out, but in the mind of its supporters, they 600 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:52,239 Speaker 1: were combating likewise incredibly serious problems in society. If you 601 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:56,360 Speaker 1: want to learn more about the temperance policy, the concept, 602 00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 1: then you can head up to Norway, May where temperance 603 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 1: is alive and well at a little two room place 604 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 1: called the Weary Club. W e a r y like 605 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 1: igree We yes, I grew weary of this episode. Uh no, 606 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 1: it's a good one. It's a very good episode. And 607 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,480 Speaker 1: I think we definitely have a trip to Maine. Do 608 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 1: I don't think either one of us have been to Maine. 609 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 1: Matt Max, have you been to Maine? I have not? 610 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 1: Is on my list, I hear it's like the most 611 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 1: beautiful state ever, So yeah, on my list. Like I said, 612 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,320 Speaker 1: our buddy Sean was posting pictures from like a botanical 613 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 1: garden main that had all these beautifulures, like statues of 614 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: like elves and stuff and like really cool looking place. 615 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: And again the lot you had me at the lobster rolls, 616 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:42,480 Speaker 1: so definitely have that on my agenda. I'm probably gonna 617 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:44,360 Speaker 1: head up to me. You know, I don't know if 618 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,080 Speaker 1: I can ship lobster rolls, but i'll I'll definitely send 619 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: you guys some pictures. Actually, I have a friend I've 620 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 1: connected with in Rhode Island over the pandemic who is 621 00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 1: a lobster fisherman, So lobsterman, a lobsterman, yes, and crab 622 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: and and a couple of other things. So, dude, if 623 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: you're listening, hook us up. It's tough to get good 624 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: seafood here in Atlanta. Any advice greatly appreciated and uh 625 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: greatly welcomed. While we're thanking people, thank you as always 626 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,879 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in, folks. Thanks to the one 627 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: and only Mr Max Williams, who very soon is bound 628 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:26,440 Speaker 1: for some adventures of his own. Hope you have a 629 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 1: kick ass time, Max, uh. And also thanks to your 630 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 1: brother Alex, who composed this slapping track that's probably playing now. 631 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,479 Speaker 1: Is it playing now, people in the curtain, We can't 632 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,400 Speaker 1: hear when it starts. It's definitely playing in our hearts, 633 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 1: definitely playing also on this track right now, Okay, good 634 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: to know. Good to Christopher Haciotes here in spirit. Jonathan Strickland, 635 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: the quis Star. Definitely due back for a for a 636 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:55,280 Speaker 1: popping soon. Uh foreshadowing there, and you Ben, my friend. 637 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: I hope we can one day adventure to main together. Yes. 638 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: In fact, we'll be in a bit of an adventure 639 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,960 Speaker 1: this weekend, Noel, because I am officiating a wedding and 640 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 1: you were probably gonna be at that wedding. I am 641 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 1: definitely gonna be there, and I've heard a little bit 642 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,520 Speaker 1: about this officiation in question, and I'm very excited to 643 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,480 Speaker 1: tell hopefully in my very good things. No I'm very 644 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 1: excited to hang with you and some of our best 645 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 1: friends in my hometown of Augusta that I mentioned at 646 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:25,760 Speaker 1: the top of the show. Not Augusta, Maine, Augusta, Georgia. 647 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 1: And we want to hear from you. As always, hit 648 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,799 Speaker 1: us up on Ridiculous Historians on Facebook. You can also 649 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: follow us as not just the show, but as individuals. 650 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: I am at Ben Bulan on Instagram. Bow l I 651 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: n and uh what about you know? Oh, you can 652 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 1: find me exclusively on Instagram where I am at how now, 653 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: Noel Brown Max, are you still on Instagram as Braves hater. No, 654 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,640 Speaker 1: I am actually not on Instagram, but if anyone does 655 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: want to follow me, retwreet a lot us about the 656 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: Braves podcast and Star Trek, you can follow me at 657 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: at a p L underscore Max Williams. It's just on 658 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: Twitter and that is on Twitter. Got it all right, 659 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:16,160 Speaker 1: duly noted. We'll see you next time, folks. For more 660 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:18,719 Speaker 1: podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 661 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,840 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,