Carry Nation

Date of Birth: November 25, 1846

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Date of Death: June 9, 1911

Biography

Carry Amelia Nation, often referred to as “Carry A. Nation,” was a prominent American activist born on November 25, 1846, in Garrard County, Kentucky. She is best known for her radical approach to the temperance movement, which sought to curb the consumption of alcohol in the United States. Nation gained national fame for her habit of entering saloons and smashing bar fixtures and stock with a hatchet, earning her the nickname “Hatchet Granny.” Nation’s activism was largely driven by personal tragedy and religious conviction. Her first husband, a physician named Charles Gloyd, died of alcoholism shortly after their marriage, a loss that profoundly impacted her views on alcohol. In 1877, she married David Nation, a lawyer and minister, who supported her crusade against alcohol, although the marriage was not a happy one and they eventually divorced. Aside from her temperance work, Carry Nation was also an advocate for women’s rights and was involved in various social reform movements of her time. She traveled extensively, delivering lectures and sermons, and often sold souvenir hatchets to fund her activities. Carry Nation passed away on June 9, 1911, in Leavenworth, Kansas. Despite her controversial methods, she left a lasting legacy in the fight against alcohol and is remembered as a pioneering figure in American social activism.

5 Interesting Facts about Carry Nation

1. Carry Nation was arrested over 30 times for her anti-alcohol activities.

2. She founded a chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.

3. Carry Nation’s aggressive tactics were partly inspired by a vision she believed she received from God, instructing her to fight alcohol.

4. She sold miniature hatchets as souvenirs to fund her temperance activities.

5. Carry Nation’s first husband, Charles Gloyd, died of alcoholism, which significantly influenced her activism.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Carry Nation

1. “I tell you ladies, you don’t know what you’ve got to fight.”

2. “Men are nicotine-soaked, beer-besmirched, whiskey-greased, red-eyed devils.”

3. “I want the world to know that I am not a bully. I am just a woman who is tired of seeing the world destroyed by alcohol.”

4. “You have put me in here a cub, but I will go out a roaring lion, and I will make all hell howl.”

5. “Smash, ladies, smash!”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Carry Nation did not achieve significant wealth from her activism. Her highest net worth remained modest, as she often relied on lecture fees and sales of souvenir hatchets to fund her work.

Children

Carry Nation had one child, a daughter named Charlien Gloyd, born from her first marriage to Charles Gloyd. Charlien suffered from various health issues throughout her life, which some attributed to her father’s alcoholism.