Alcoholism was rampant, especially among men. Wives and children were affected greatly by the damages done by alcoholic husbands and fathers. Women took up the cause, and started what became known as the temperance movement. In 1873, some women formally organized into the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Through prayer and protest, the women of this group hoped to close saloons, and thus bring an end to alcoholism in their homes.