Some Predecessors of AA

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interesting read;

A little bit of info gathered a few years back from a presentation by Nell and Frank (previous Archivists in GSO).

Some Predecessors of AA

Washingtonians:

Basic purpose: to solve people's problems.

Operated for a period of approximately 25 years

Sharing by personal experience

held public meetings

gathered members by personal contact

had a desire to help others

had more than a million signatures

were strongest about 1841-1842

began dying out about 1846-1847

had basic principles of love, sympathy, kindness, charity

Decline: because

they had no adequate organization

had no guidelines (such as traditions, etc.)

had no real direction

work with alcoholics not required (although they did work with alcoholics to a certain extent)

had no anonymity function

Emmanuel Movement:

took part of the ideas of Washingtonians

added the religious content

started about 1908-1909

treated people with alcohol problems and nervous disorders

used Christian principles (religious)

used physical medicine

strongly psychological

stressed total abstinence

had strong group support

existed through to about 1929

Decline: perhaps a little slower than with Washingtonians but basically from drifting from their basic ideas.

Along the way other people got into the act with some of the same basic ideas and some good principles but fell apart for a variety of reasons-generally from getting away from their basic principles.

Edward Worster-somewhere about 1910

Another man by the name of Baylor at approximately same time.

Richard Peabody, Peabody Movement-1930's

wrote a book called "Common Sense Of Drinking"

stressed physical condition (medical)

surrender, deflation at depth

removal of doubts and anxieties

control of thoughts

control of will power

self-expression

Jacoby Club-1909

tried to help alcoholics

stressed being honest

regular meetings

members contribute regularly

work on rehabilitation

self help

much of problem to be blamed on spouse

spiritual and psychological help

still operated in Boston in 1940's

much work of the club performed by salaried people

after 1940's concentrated on helping people with other than alcohol problems.

William James (Varieties of Religious Experience)

gained much of his knowledge and experience from his students

aware of the religious conversion experience in many people

added the importance of psychology

stressed personal contact with God

talked about fears, moral ideals, remorse

Oxford Groups-1921-Frank Buchman, ordained Lutheran minister

Buchman, 1908:

bible study

1200 students

world changing by personal soul changing

1928 in South Africa:

first-century Christian Fellowship began to be known as Oxford Group

500,000 copies of Oxford Book printed

1930: Sam Schumacher became involved with Oxford Groups

1931 Roland Hazard got sober, began working with Sam Schumacher at Calvary Mission, subsequently carried the message to Ebby Thatcher, who carried the message to Bill Wilson

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1774
The earliest American writing on alcoholism was a 1774 essay by Anthony Benezet titled Mighty Destroyer Displayed.
Benezet was an abolitionist and a temperance advocate. (SD 4-5)
1784
Dr Benjamin Rush was a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Surgeon
General of the Army during the Revolution. He is often called both the father of American psychiatry and father of the
American temperance movement. In 1784, Rush wrote a 36-page paper titled An Enquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits
on the Human Body and Mind. The paper described habitual drunkenness as a “progressive and odious disease” and that
total abstinence “suddenly and entirely” was the only effective treatment. In 1810 Rush called for the creation of “sober
houses” where alcoholics could be confined and rehabilitated. (GB 43, 168, 1996 GSC-FR 15, SD 1-4)
Note: It is a bit ironic that Dr Bob, during some of the worst years of his drinking, received his medical degree from Rush
University, which was named in honor of Dr Benjamin Rush, a pioneer in the treatment of alcoholism.
1700’s (late)
The late 1700’s began the period of the worst American problem with alcohol in its history. Problem drinking spanned all
ages from children to seniors. One reason for the enormous growth in alcohol consumption was that it was a common
practice of the time for employers to provide their employees, which included children, with daily rations of distilled liquor as
part of their pay. Drinking preferences also shifted from beer and wine to distilled liquor. In addition, distilled liquor was
commonly used as a form of currency in trading for goods and services. (SD 4-5, www)
1800s (early)
By the early 1800s, the newly formed republic of the US was truly on a destructive alcohol binge and the effects were
devastating. Prominent historical figures, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John
Adams, urgently called for a change in drinking practices. They appealed to the country for “temperance” which at that time
meant “moderation” in drinking. (SD 4-5)
1820s
By the 1820s, people in the US were drinking on average 27 liters (7 gallons) of pure alcohol per person each year. Many
religious and political leaders were beginning to see drunkenness as a national curse. Momentum was picked up by
religious leaders to change the notion of “temperance as moderation” to mean “temperance as abstinence.” This began the
growth of American temperance societies that would later lead to the alcohol prohibition movement.