Carrie Amelia Moore Nation (first name also spelled Carry ; November 25, 1846 – June 9, 1911) was an American woman who was a radical member of the temperance movement , which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition . She is particularly noteworthy for promoting her viewpoint through vandalism . Nation frequently attacked the property of alcohol-serving establishments (most often taverns) with a hatchet . Recently, Nation's behavior has inspired fiction writers as well as an opera composer.

Nation was a relatively large woman, almost 6 feet (180 cm) tall and weighing 175 pounds (79 kg), with a stern countenance. She described herself as "a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus , barking at what He doesn't like," ^{[ 2 ]} and claimed a divine ordination to promote temperance by destroying bars .