Why and How: A Hand-Book for the Use of the W.C.T. Unions in Canada

A vital artifact of late 19th-century Canadian activism, this handbook documents how women organized against the devastation alcohol wrought on families and communities. Addie Chisholm weaves personal testimony with practical strategy, recording the profound suffering she witnessed while offering concrete guidance for building a movement when women had almost no political voice. The book opens with unflinching accounts of alcohol's toll on domestic life, then traces the awakening of women's collective purpose through the Woman's Crusade and beyond. Chisholm frames temperance as both a spiritual calling and a practical necessity, urging readers to recognize their power to challenge the status quo. This is not mere historical record, it is a working manual for grassroots organizing, showing readers exactly how to gather, strategize, and persist in the face of entrenched opposition. For anyone interested in the roots of feminist activism, the mechanics of social reform, or the untold stories of Canadian women shaping their communities, this book offers an intimate window into a pivotal era of organized resistance.