James Black (prohibitionist) 2650263 199494132 2008-03-20T01:39:47Z RogDel 6192846 /* References */ Inserted bullets '''James Black''' ([[1823]] – [[1893]]) became a leader of the [[temperance movement]] in the United States after having a bad experience with alcohol intoxication, if not alcohol poisoning. Black was born in [[Union County, Pennsylvania]] to John Black and Jane Egbert Black. He married Eliza Murray in [[1845]]. Black was actively involved in establishing the [[International Organisation of Good Templars|Good Templars]], a temperance organization. In addition, he co-founded the [[National Temperance Society and Publishing House]] with [[Neal S. Dow]], another pioneering temperance leader. In its first 60 years, the publishing house printed over one billion pages. It published three monthly periodicals with a combined circulation of about 600,000. It also published over 2,000 books and pamphlets plus textbooks, flyers, broadsides and other temperance materials. In 1869, Black and some of his friends founded the [[Prohibition Party]]. Three years later he was selected to run as the party’s presidential candidate. However, he won only 5,607 votes. Possibly one reason for the low vote he received was that the powerful [[Anti-Saloon League]], under the direction of [[Wayne Wheeler]], would not support third party candidates. The same was true of the influential [[Women's Christian Temperance Union]] (WCTU). Black authored ''Is There a Necessity for a Prohibition Party?''. (NY: National Temperance Society and Publication House, 1876) and ''Brief History of Prohibition and of the Prohibition Reform Party''. (NY: National Committee of the Prohibition Reform Party, 1880). Most sources list 1893 as the year of Black's death, but the [[Library of Congress]] lists it as 1894. ==Source== *[http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1091124904_7.html National Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S.] *[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=20073 OurCampaigns biography] ==References== *Tuttle, Elizabeth. Cheers! "Temperance society urges sobriety in bootleg era." Terre Haute, IN: Vigo County Historical Society, June 9, 1985. *Wilson, James G., ''et al.'' (eds.) ''Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography''. NY: Appleton & Co., 1887-1889, and 1999. {{start box}} {{succession box | title=[[Prohibition Party presidential election results|Prohibition Party presidential nominee]] | before=''(none)'' | after=[[Green Clay Smith]] | years=[[U.S. presidential election, 1872|1872]] (lost)}} {{end box}} [[Category:1823 births|Black, James]] [[Category:1893 deaths|Black, James]] [[Category:American temperance activists|Black, James]] [[Category:Prohibition Party (United States) presidential nominees|Black, James]] [[Category:United States presidential candidates, 1872|Black, James]]