Who is or was Neal Dow?

Answer 1

Okay, Neal Dow was a abolitionist who tried to and somewhat prohibited alcohol in Portland, Maine. He is also the creator of the "Neal Dow Law." Neal Dow was a Quaker, tanner and lumber magnate. He was also an ardent abolitionist, women's suffragist and, most importantly, prohibitionist. As mayor of Portland in 1851 (and again in 1855) he passed the "Maine Law", the nation's first prohibition law. 12 states followed suit with their own prohibition laws--basically the same wording as Dow's--with in a decade. The Volstead act, which outlawed alcohol nationally in 1919, was also based on Dow's "Maine Law". Dow organized the Maine 13th Regiment during the Civil War, rose to the rank of Brigadier General, and was later wounded and subsequently captured by the Confederates. He spent 8-10 months in Libby POW camp and was later exchanged for Robert E Lee's son. He ran for President in 1880 as the Prohibition Party candidate and garnered 10,000 votes. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland ME. He harbored a great animosity toward the Irish and Catholics.

Answer 2

Neal Dow grew up amongst a strong Quaker family enabling him to yearn for the abolishment of slavery. Dow also acknowledge equal rights of women and the treatment of prisoners and mentally ill to be humane. Dow also believed that liquor was a demon that was ruining civilization. He noticed that intoxicating liquids created social chaos, which he aimed to put an end to. He strongly believed in the promotion of education. With this belief, he traveled during the summer and winter in his carriage on missionary work to improve the knowledge of all people about such things as teetotalism, and rights of women, slaves, and mentally ill. He was a very strong supporter and educator of teetotalism and abstinence of intoxicating liquids, becoming a magnificent speaker against its use. During Dow's youth, he perceived the large amounts of rum trade that was occurring due to Portland, Maine being a major trading port with the West Indies. This caused him to believe that the transport of liquor was much too great. One thing that disobeyed Dow from his Quaker beliefs is the fighting of war. Dow was not entirely against war due to himself volunteering during the Civil War.

Dow aimed towards achieving a world that was intoxicating liquids free. He aimed towards stopping the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquids. He supported Teetotalism, and educated everyone about it. He wanted everyone to have equal rights including slaves and women. Dow wanted abolishment of slavery and the rights of women to be obtained and equivalent to that of men. Dow also wanted to lower the crime rate down, and also was strong in crime prevention. He also worked towards gaining the humane treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill by funding various institutions.

Neal Dow was strong with is Quaker beliefs. He aimed towards ending all imports of intoxicating liquids into the United States and also wanted to create a prohibition of intoxicating liquids. He also wanted to abolish slavery and create equal rights for women. Additionally, Dow supported and promoted education of things such as prohibition of intoxicating liquids, abolishment of slavery, the creation of equal rights for women and the civilized treatment of the mentally ill and prisoners. He promoted the humane treatment of prisoners due to himself taking part in such. While volunteering in the Civil War, Dow was captured by the Confederates during the Siege of Port Hudson. He spent nine months enduring the harsh cruel ships the prison in Richmond, Virginia. Dow also aspired to eliminate or lower the crime rate.

During the early 19th century, an increased rate of consumption of intoxicating liquids was seen. Neal Dow saw this as an evil that was ruining the United States. With this idea, he began to try and ban intoxicating liquids from Maine to start with. The amount of intoxicating liquids being transported into the United States was rising. With immigrants seeking land in America, much intoxicating liquids was being brought into the United States. Intensely during the Irish Immigration, intoxicating liquids was a beginning to become a large factor. Also at this time, women were fighting for equal rights. Neal Dow believed that women should have neutral rights to man. He also believed in the abolishment of slavery that was occurring during this time period. With the Civil War occurring, many people were jailed and taken captive. Dow himself being one of those men, saw the harshness of being jailed, and wanted to end cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners. So by doing this, he helped fund and created new jails and mental hospitals.

In order to improve the evils that Dow was against, he sought to travel wherever he pleased, informing people of the dangers and unacceptable situations intoxicating liquids would create. He became well informed with the topic of Teetotalism, and became an outstanding speaker about it. He also tried to enact the Maine Law in 1837, which would prohibit the sale and consumption of beverages that contained intoxicating liquids except for medical purposes. Dow formed the Maine Temperance Union in 1838, creating campaigns in attempt to persuade Congress into passing the Maine Law. This law was tabled, and was not passed. Then, Dow was elected as Mayor of Portland, giving him more power to enact the Maine Law. With his second attempt, The Maine Law was passed. Dow also funded and reformed various institutions in order to create humane living conditions and treatment for prisoners and the mentally ill.

Dow had much success with promoting and achieving victory with his ideas. He wanted to end drinking worldwide and to eliminate intoxicating liquids. He was not able to fully achieve prohibition of the world, but he was able to create the Maine Temperance Union in 1838, which attempted to persuade Congress into passing the Maine Law. This Union wasn't successful, but he was able to pass the law once he achieved mayor of Portland in 1851. He was able to prohibit drinking and all sales of intoxicating liquids in Maine from passing the Maine Law. This then led to other states following the Maine Law after his death.

Dow was very interesting because of the fact that he stood against the mass amount of people who did not want the ban of intoxicating liquids. He was extremely against the consumption of intoxicating liquids to the extent that he did not attend college because of its connotation of a time to party. Instead, he took on his fathers' tannery. Neal also worked hard to win Mayor of Portland, in order to get his tabled Maine Law back into the hands of Congress. He was then able to pass this Maine Law after his failed attempt during his time in the Maine Temperance Union. He worked extremely hard not only to ban intoxicating liquids, but also to gain rights for women, and slaves. He also wanted fair treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill. The fact that he had so many goals shows how much of an inspiring person he has created himself to be.

Neal Dow was strongly obsessed with achieving his goal of banning all intoxicating liquids beverages. He grew up with his Quaker beliefs, allowing him to grow up around a non-drinking family, and was influenced into hatred toward intoxicating liquids. Growing up around his Quaker family, it created him as a very strong anti intoxicating liquids man. His goal was very impractical because of the fact that it would be extremely hard to ban the consumption of intoxicating liquids and the sale of it for everyone. There is always one person who is going to be against the idea. In this case, there were many groups of people who were against teetotalism, especially the Irish. Dow did achieve a ban of intoxicating liquids in Maine, but he was not able to extend this ban to the United States or the World.

Neal Dow will be known for his hard work towards banning intoxicating liquids. He will also be remembered for all of the hard work that he has put into getting humane treatment of the mentally ill, and prisoners by funding prisons and mental hospitals, and for the fact that he worked to achieve the reduced crime rate. Also for the fact that he was a women's rights supporter and the abolishment of slavery believer. From his creation of the Maine Law, he was able to ban intoxicating liquids in Maine, causing other states to follow the same legislation, and banning intoxicating liquids themselves. With this happening, Neal Dow became nationally know. He will always be known as the "Father of Prohibition," because of the fact that he was the first man to ever work hard enough to create a ban of intoxicating liquids within a state. Neal also will be known because of his involvement with Maine politics, and the fact that he aided the Republican party, leaving a lasting impression and causing a rise and power of it. Overall, he will be remembered for his commitment to his beliefs, and the way that he has stuck to his ideas.