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====The Progressive Era and Prohibition====
[[File: Prohibition_agents_destroying_barrels_of_alcohol_(United_States,_prohibition_era)_(1).jpg|thumbnail|left| Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol]]
The Progressive Era, which overlapped with the growth of the WCTU and the construction of temperance fountains, was a period of upheaval in the United States that in some ways mirrors the reform movements of the 1830s. Once again, there was a great surge in the belief in the perfectibility of human society. One difference, however, was the equally firm belief in the role of the government in implementing this perfect society. While the WCTU and the temperance fountains relied on appeals to the morality of individuals, the Progressive Era attempted to bring about societal change through the enforcement powers of government.
