In Colonial America, strong drink was believed to protect against what?

In Colonial America, strong drink was commonly believed to offer protection against diseases. This perspective was shaped by the limited understanding of health and medicine at the time. People often associated alcoholic beverages with health benefits, presuming that they could help ward off illnesses, especially during times when clean water was not always readily available or safe to consume. Alcohol not only served as a means of hydration but was also thought to have medicinal properties, often being used in various remedies for ailments.

The other options, while they may reflect concerns of the time, do not capture the predominant belief regarding strong drink. For example, while injuries could sometimes be addressed with alcohol for pain relief, the notion of alcohol as a preventive measure against disease was far more widespread and culturally ingrained. Similarly, social ostracism and poverty were significant issues, but they were less directly tied to the role of alcohol in people's lives compared to the overarching belief in its protective health benefits.