In the 1870s, groups of women began marching from church meetings to nearby saloons. they knelt in prayer on the saloon's floor or on the street to block the entrance. the main reason women did this was

The main reason they were doing that is because they were protesting alcohol consumption.

This was part of the Temperance Movement.

The Temperance Movement (which still continues to this day) originated in the early 1800s and women were very actively involved from the very beginning. The movement was highly moralist with a strong religious influence.