February 2, 1900 – Annie Wittenmeyer

Before Gandhi and Martin Luther King’s non-violent protests there was the Women’s Christian Temperance Union who was taking on the destruction of homes due to alcohol. The WCTU’s first president, Annie Wittenmeyer, served from 1874-1879 and died on February 2, 1900. At the height of its influence the WCTU boasted over 1000 chapters across the US and were a force in the passing of the 18th Amendment. Keep in mind all this was done by a group who couldn’t even vote.