I am pleased to be at the Historical Society of Somerset Hills in Basking Ridge, NJ on November 13, 2025, to explore the fascinating subject of temperance and prohibition with a special spotlight on New Jersey. This talk on prohibition will shed light on the natin’s unique centuries-long effort to control and regulate alcohol consumption….
Category: Prohibition
Temperanceville: The Legacy of a Dry Village
While giving a talk in Ocean City last week on America’s complex history with alcohol, an audience member asked about Temperanceville, a small village on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Although I had driven past it for years, I had never taken the turn off Route 13 to explore the place. However, prompted by the…
Temperance & Prohibition Talk at Court House Museum
I am pleased to speak at the New Castle Court House Museum on August 6, 2024, at 7 p.m. about the history of temperance and prohibition. The talk, part of the museum’s annual “History Revival” summer series, examines the historical attempts to regulate alcohol consumption over the centuries, with an emphasis on Prohibition. During the…
Floating Booze Boat on Delaware River Calls up Questions of State Boundary
In the summer of 1916, the well-known “Charlestown Booze Boat,” Uno, made waves in Penns Grove, NJ, becoming the talk of the dry town. Anchored just off the New Jersey shore in the Delaware River, this floating speakeasy from Maryland quickly became a popular destination for those seeking to tipple the forbidden indulgence. Dinghies and…