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Washingtonians I was doing some reading today and came across a wikipedia article on the Washingtonians. Apparently they were a secular sobriety group founded in Baltimore in 1840. The idea was that by relying on each other, sharing their alcoholic experiences and creating an atmosphere of conviviality, they could keep each other sober. Total abstinence from alcohol was their goal. The group taught sobriety and preceded Alcoholics Anonymous by almost a century. Members sought out other "drunkards" (the term alcoholic had not yet been created), told them their experiences with alcohol abuse and how the Society had helped them achieve sobriety. |
Originally Posted by Nonsensical
(Post 4329046)
I was doing some reading today and came across a wikipedia article on the Washingtonians. Apparently they were a secular sobriety group founded in Baltimore in 1840. I had not previously heard of this group. I like a bit of history. Anyone have any additional information on them? GT |
...the triumph of moral principle over an animal appetite |
The first episode of the PBS documentary series on prohibition discusses the rise and fall of the Washingtonians. I think it is available on Netflix, and is definitely available on ITunes. It is a good series generally, but I particularly liked the first episode: "a nation of drunkards" |
Perfect! |
Nice find Paul...... thanks Jess |
Bill W. knew of them. They were a group of men who gathered at a local pub in Baltimore, MD and who decided to get sober. They are a part of AA history as they were able to prove that one alcoholic helping another alcoholic works quite well. They met weekly at the pub....without drinking, most likely after hours...not sure They are also part of the history of how the 12 Traditions in AA came about as they tried to do all kinds of things to promote themselves....they fell apart because of the lack of agreement |
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