<P> Across the nation, "drys" crusaded, in the name of religion, for the prohibition of alcohol . The Woman's Christian Temperance Union mobilized Protestant women for social crusades against not only liquor, but also pornography and prostitution, and sparked the demand for women's suffrage . </P> <P> The Gilded Age plutocracy came under harsh attack from the Social Gospel preachers and reformers in the Progressive Era who became involved with issues of child labor, compulsory elementary education and the protection of women from exploitation in factories . </P> <P> All the major denominations sponsored growing missionary activities inside the United States and around the world . </P> <P> Colleges associated with churches rapidly expanded in number, size and quality of curriculum . The promotion of muscular Christianity became popular among young men on campus and in urban YMCAs, as well as such denominational youth groups such as the Epworth League for Methodists and the Walther League for Lutherans . </P>

What was life like in american cities during the industrial era