Prohibition in Virginia.
As part of an effort to restore order and stability known as Progressivism, Virginians began a push after the Civil War to limit or outlaw drinking. As early as 1883, the Women's Christian Temperance Union established chapters in the Commonwealth. A local option law giving communities control over the local consumption of alcohol passed the General Assembly in 1886 and by 1905, 100 Virginia communities were "dry". Complete Prohibition was approved by the voters in 1916, before the 18th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. At the same time, however, many rural people believed that this was an effort by outsiders to control their lives. Moonshining and bootlegging were prevalent in Virginia, and one of the outcomes was the rise of NASCAR. Present by Alice Reagan, history professor at Northern Virginia Community College.
Virginia's Constitution is a traveling exhibition from the Library of Virginia to mark the 50th anniversary of the state's current constitution.