Pages 14-18 of USA A5 booklet (prohibition, immigration) Flashcards
Which groups campaigned to start prohibition?
The Temperance Movement campaigned to start prohibition. It was made up by Christians.
What were the 2 main groups within the temperance society?
Anti-saloon league
Women’s Christian Temperance Society.
What did many people think of making alcohol?
Waste of grain, when there were many people in Europe starving following the destruction of farmland from WW1.
What did John D Rockefeller think about prohibition?
He thought that there would be a more reliable workforce due to there not being any hangovers.
How many babies were smothered every year due to drunken parents?
3000 babies a year.
Why was drinking alcohol seen as unpatriotic?
It was seen as unpatriotic (going against America) because it gave German Breweries lots of money.
When was prohibition?
From 1920 - 1933
What were illegal bars called?
Speakeasies.
What were suppliers of illegal alcohol called?
Bootleggers.
How much did Al Capone make from his speakeasies every year?
$60 million per year.
What is the quote from Al Capone about prohibition?
“Prohibition is a business. All i do is supply a public demand”.
In what year was there more speakeasies than saloons in 1919?
By 1925 there were more speakeasies than there were saloons in 1919.
What was illegal alcohol called?
Moonshine.
How many stills did agents seize during prohibition?
280 000 stills were seized during prohibition.
How much of the illegal alcohol came from Canada?
Roughly 2 thirds.
Who was one of the most famous bootleggers?
Captain McCoy, who specialised in the finest scotch whiskey. This is where the phrase “The real McCoy” comes from.
How were big breweries and speakeasies able to stay open during prohibition?
They bribed Government officials and agents to leave them alone - in some cities, officers were willing.
How many prohibition agents were dismissed for corruption?
1 in 12 agents were dismissed for corruption.
Who was the New York boss, what did he do to find corrupt agents?
Don Chaplin. He ordered 200 of his prohibition agents
“Put your hands on the table, both of them. Every son of a bitch wearing a diamond is fired”
What was the 3 main reasons why prohibition was a failure?
- Lack of support
- Not enough prohibition agents - were responsible for a too big area.
- Poorly paid agents, lead to them becoming corrupt.
How much did the consumption of alcohol fall?
30% - 50%
How many arrests had been made by Federal agents in 1921, what had this increased to 1929?
In 1921 they had made 43,175 arrests, in 1929 this had increased to 66,878.
During prohibition, how much did the death rate due to alcohol decrease by?
The rate of alcohol related deaths decreased by 42%.
How much did death rates due to cirrhosis of the liver decrease by?
Decreased by 70%.
During prohibition, how much did crime decrease by?
Crime decreased by 54%.
How much did insanity decrease by during prohibition?
Insanity decreased by 66%.
How much did cirrhosis death rates decrease by for men?
- 5 per 100 000 in 1911.
10. 7 per 100 000 in 1929.
What happened to homicide rates in 1900 to 1910?
They dramatically increased, but stayed roughly the same during prohibition.
What happened to the amount of arrests for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct between 1916 to 1922?
Between 1916 and 1922 it declined by 50%.
How did the government lose money during prohibition?
Missing out on taxes.
Where did prohibition gain widespread approval?
Mid West
What gangsters were there during prohibition?
Al Capone Torio Lucky Luciano Bugs Moran the Guizenbergs O'Banion
Which mayor was corrupt?
Bill Thompson in Chicago was corrupt.
What did George Remus hand out to his guests at his parties?
$25 000 cufflinks
Where was prohibition never even introduced?
Maryland
Roughly how much money were gangsters earning every year during prohibition?
$2 billion per year
What are the 5 reasons for why prohibition was ended?
- Lacked support
- Not enough enforcement agents
- Led to organised crime and violence
- Caused health problems
- Lost the government vital taxes.
What are the private army of gangsters within a gang called?
Hoodlums
What is an example of violence linked with prohibition?
St Valentine’s Massacre.
How many murders took place in Cooks County, Chicago in 2 years. How many of these killers were arrested?
130 murders. Not one of the killers were arrested.
How many murders were there in all of Chicago?
300 murders overall.
Why were people fleeing to the USA?
- To escape poverty in Italy.
- To escape persecution in Eastern Europe e.g. Jews
- To start a new life
What is the Melting Pot theory?
All immigrants would forget their culture, customs and religious beliefs and become Americans. They would symbolically all be put in a pot, melted down and be reformed as the”perfect Americans”.
What was the problem with the Melting Pot theory?
Most immigrants were proud of their cultures and customs and didn’t want to forget them. This sometimes caused tension with white Americans and more established immigrants who didn’t want immigrants coming to the USA.
Who was there racism between?
- Blacks from the Caribbean looked down on Blacks from Africa.
- White people looked down on black people.
- Immigrants from northern Europe looked down on southern and eastern European immigrants.
- Mexicans looked down on blacks.
Why were many Americans concerned by immigrants?
They thought that immigrants were bringing radical political views with them such as Communism from Russia and Anarchism from Italy which would threaten America.
How many immigrants came from GB?
5 million immigrants from GB.
How many immigrants came from Germany?
4.4 million immigrants from Germany.
How many immigrants came from Russia?
2.7 million immigrants came from Russia.
How many immigrants came from Italy?
3.2 million immigrants came from Italy.
How many immigrants came from Ireland?
2 million immigrants came from Ireland.
What film was launched in 1915, what was it about?
The Birth of a Nation.
A film directed by D.W. Griffith, based on Thomas Dixon’s novel, The Clansman.
It is controversial for its depiction of the KKK as a group of southern freedom fighters.
Who protested about The Birth of a Nation film, what did this achieve?
Protests from leaders in the African American community and the refusal of several major cities to host the film.
What was introduced in 1917 for immigrants entering America, what was the problem with this?
Literacy tests were introduced in 1917. Immigrants that didn’t pass couldn’t enter America, this was a problem because the poorer immigrants from eastern Europe had received no education and so failed the tests.
What was introduced in 1918 that effected immigrants?
The Anarchist Exclusion Act.
- The new legislation meant that immigrants that had been in the USA for more than 5 years were not subject to deportation.
- It also included additional punishment for anyone deported who returned to the US.
What was the additional punishment put in place by the Anarchist Exclusion Act?
A prison sentence of 5 years followed by a deportation once again.
What act was set up in 1921 which set a limit on the amount of immigrants allowed to enter the USA?
`The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 which restricted the number of immigrants to 357 000 per year.
It also set down a quota - only 3% of the total population of any overseas group already in the USA in 1910 could come in after 1921.
What was set up in 1921 which effected schooling?
An Oklahoma statute prohibits schoolteachers from instructing white and black students in the same facility.
What was introduced in 1924 which further cut the number of immigrants allowed into America?
The National Origins Act (Johnson Reed Act)
- Reduced the number of immigrants to 150 000 per year
- Cut the quota to 2%
The act was introduced with an aim to reduce southern and eastern European immigrants. It also prohibited immigration from Asia which angered the Chinese and Japanese communities.
What was introduced in 1924 in Virginia?
Racial Integrity Act
Prohibited interracial marriage in Virginia
What was introduced in Oklahoma in 1925?
In Oklahoma, black boxers are forbidden from sparring with whites.
What was introduced in 1926 which ordered strict segregation?
The Public Assemblages Act
which required all public meeting spaces to be strictly segregated.
Whose gang was killed by Capone’s men in the St Valentine’s Day Massacre 1927?
George ‘Bugs’ Moran.
