Prohibition Flashcards
When was prohibition law enforced?
January 17th 1920
What was the prohibition law?
Prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquor
(above 0.5%)
Reasons for prohibition
1) Industrialists: Workers would be more efficient -Bolshevism thrived on drinking (people may be susceptible to communism)
2) Women’s Christian Temperance Union: Alcohol causes social issues- wanted to decrease poverty (6million families below $1000 income, alcohol spending wouldnt help
3) Germany founded many liquors (to stop drinking it would help war effort and stop Germans getting money)
Response to Prohibition
-Heavily ignored (200,000 speakeasy’s
-Moonshine (people made their own alcohol)
-Drunk driving doubled from 1921 (400) 1925 (800)
Why did prohibition fail?
-Wasn’t what government prioritised spending on
-Not enough agents (1,500 agents poorly paid
-Government officials took bribes (speakeasy’s not closed)