This 19th-20th social reformer was a strong advocate of abstinence from alcohol. With her hatchet she led raids of saloons, breaking bottles and destroying furniture. Who was she?

Carry Amelia Moore Nation became the formidable, hatchet-wielding face of the radical temperance movement. Her crusade against alcohol was deeply personal, stemming from her first marriage to an alcoholic who died shortly after they wed. Believing she was divinely instructed to take direct action, she began leading groups of women on raids of saloons, which she called "joints." These destructive protests, which she famously termed "hatchetations," involved smashing bottles, mirrors, and furniture with her signature weapon.

Standing nearly six feet tall and typically dressed in stark black and white, Nation was an imposing figure who garnered national attention. While associated with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), her violent tactics were often too extreme for the organization's leadership. Her notoriety grew to the point that saloons would hang signs reading, "All Nations Welcome But Carrie."

To support her cause and pay her frequent legal fees from numerous arrests, Nation embarked on lecture tours and sold souvenir hatchet pins. Though she did not live to see it, her highly publicized and controversial campaign brought immense publicity to the temperance cause, contributing to the climate that eventually led to the passage of the 18th Amendment and the era of Prohibition.