Temperance activism was common among Progressive Era reformers, and some of its language now sounds paternalistic or moralistic.

For Susan, however, alcohol was not an abstract social vice.

She had watched its consequences inside families.

She saw traders and sellers profit from Native communities.

She believed the problem was connected to health, poverty, violence, and exploitation.

After Henry died in 1905, Susan was left to raise their sons while continuing her professional work.

Widowhood brought grief and increased responsibility.

It also seems to have sharpened her political involvement.

She had spent years treating the symptoms of larger systems.

Increasingly, she challenged the systems themselves.