Archives & Special Collections: Dr. Nott's Temperance Lectures

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the US experienced a religious revival called the Second Great Awakening.  This movement advocated conversion to Protestant Christianity through dramatic camp meetings that strengthened members' religious convictions.  At the camp meetings, speakers preached about the wondrous  nature of God.  Camp goers were often profoundly affected by their words, often falling to the ground and professing eternal allegiance to a newly found Savior.  Once converted, members would volunteer for a religious organization in order to advance social or political reforms using the Bible as a guide.  This Second Great Awakening also contributed to the growth of social activism that dubbed this period in US history as the "Age of Reform."

One of the major themes during the Age of Reform was temperance. Dr. Eliphalet Nott, President of Union College from 1804 to 1866, actively participated in this reform movement through his "Lectures on Temperance," espousing the poisonous attributes of alcohol.  Dr. Nott also worked to prevent drinking by discouraging Schenectady businesses from selling alcohol to Union students in particular.  The efforts of Dr. Nott provide researchers an opportunity to examine the social questions of the early nineteenth century and contrast them with the ongoing struggles over alcohol and drinking on campus through the years.