The Maine Law (or “Maine Liquor Law”), passed on June 2, 1851 in Maine, was the first statutory implementation of the developing temperance movement in the United States. Temperance activist Neal Dow helped craft the Maine liquor law while he was mayor of Portland, Maine. The law’s wording included that the sale of all alcoholic beverages except for “medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes” was prohibited. Word of the law’s passage quickly spread elsewhere in the nation, and by 1855 twelve states had joined Maine in total prohibition. Known as “dry” states, these states were the opposite of “wet” states, where no prohibition laws existed.
Height: 6 ½”
Condition: Hairline through the handle restored