Cannon, Bishop James, Jr. 1864-1944

RELIGIOUS LEADER AND PROHIBITION SUPPORTER

Behind Prohibition.

James Cannon Jr. was elected a bishop of the Methodis t Episcopal Church, South, in 1918. The election reflected an esteem for his work in the denomination as president of Blackstone School, a women's college in Virginia. It also reflected enthusiasm for his efforts as editor of the Richmond Virginian, which served as a voice for the Virginia Anti-Saloon League, an organization he also led, and his work as chair of the Southern Methodist Board of Temperance and Social Service. Cannon served as the major voice of the Prohibition movement in the South. His work culminated with the 1919 ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

Politics.

In the 1920s Cannon became the effective head of the national Anti-Saloon League. He attracted...

[The entire page is 987 words long]

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