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Prohibition Flashcards

1
Q

what did sales of medicinal alcohol increase by during prohibition?

A

400%

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2
Q

the lack of government funding for prohibition enforcement was serious - how much was spent in total

A

only $300million

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3
Q

What % of District Attorney’s time was estimated to be spent on prohibition cases in 1923

A

44%

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4
Q

What was the rate of those who were trialled and sentenced due to prohibition charges?

A

extremely low

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5
Q

prohibition did what to tax revenue?

A

removed a source of tax revenue since sales went underground

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6
Q

What was a disincentive for the purchasing of alcohol during prohibition?

A

artificially inflated prices

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7
Q

What were some protests based on related to prohibition

A

it’s ‘unconstitutional’ nature

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8
Q

Where did the number of saloons total 1,000 but during prohibition speakeasies total 8,000

A

Massachusetts

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9
Q

How many speakeasies were created in Massachusetts

A

8,000

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10
Q

What happened to organised crime when prohibition was abolished in 1933?

A

diversified into other activities e.g prostitution, illegal horse betting

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11
Q

Why did the Volstead Act only apply to 1/4 of states

A

other states had already passed prohibition laws

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12
Q

What was the impact of the Volstead Act only applying to 1/4 of states

A

Congress more likely to pass it as had crept into other states with no disastrous short-term effects

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13
Q

What did bootleggers do?

A

brought illegal alcohol supplies into the cities

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14
Q

How many illicit stills were seized by government agents in 1930?

A

280,000+

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15
Q

How many did the prohibition bureau employ?

A

1500-2300

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16
Q

How many gangland murders in Chicago 1926-27?

A

130

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17
Q

When was the St. Valentines Day Massacre where in violence between X2 rival gangs 7 were killed?

A

1929

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18
Q

What act curtailed the use of grain in alcohol

A

Lever Act 1917

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19
Q

When was the Lever Act enforced?

A

1917

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20
Q

When was the Prohibition Act enforced?

A

1918

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21
Q

How does prohibition relate to religion?

A

religious reaction to godlessness of many Americans

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22
Q

Where were supporters of prohibition generally from?

A

Protestant, small town America

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23
Q

Where was opposition to prohibition generally from?

A

urban, Catholic

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24
Q

How many gangland murders in Chicago 1927-30

How did the legal system fare?

Why was gangland murder common?

A

200+

No convictions

conflict between gangsters as each tries to monopolies markets within an area

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25
What % of prohibition agents accepted bribes>
10%
26
What did gangsters earn a year in profits from the illegal alcohol trade?
$2billion
27
Why did business support prohibition?
saw labour as a threat to labour reliability thought prohibition would increase efficiency
28
When was the Volstead Act introduced? What did this do?
Jan 1920 illegal to make, sell or transport alcohol
29
What was the name of the speakeasy where the Notorious of New York's elite went
21 Club
30
What was notable about the number of speakeasies
Greater than the number of pre-1919 saloons
31
How many speakeasies in New York alone?
32,000 in 1929
32
What was arguably the worst legacy of prohibition?
level of corruption it revealed; - judges - local / state gov officials
33
Example of corrupt government official in Chicago
Big Bill Thompson - Mayor of Chicago
34
What was the fundamental aim of prohibition legisaltion
to control behaviour | to establish a common code of morals and values in the USA
35
X7 groups which supported prohibition
- protestants - middle class - rural - Bible Belt - businesses - Women's Temperance League - American Society for the Promotion of Temperance
36
X2 notorious businesses which supported prohibition
- Heinz | - Rockefeller
37
What was Rockefeller's political position? How was this shown in the 1930s?
advocated progressivism and increased government intervention In the 1930's became Chief of the National Share Our Wealth Committee
38
What type of policy had been declining in popularity following WWI?
progressivism
39
Consumption per person : 1917 consumption per person : 1930
1917 : 2.6gallons per person 1930 : 1gallon per person
40
successes in terms of incidents;
- decrease in drunken workplace incidents | - decrease in arrests for drunkenness
41
Where was prohibition largely ignored? Why was this?
in cities large Catholic migrant populations
42
Success : | How many illegal sills were seized in 1930?
282,000
43
What was the term for homemade alcohol?
moonshine
44
Deaths from alcohol poisoning : 1920 : 1926 :
1920 : under 100 1936 : 760
45
Number of prohibition agents at any one time What did this reflect
1,500-2,300 massive underfunding
46
What fraction of prohibition agents were sacked? Why was this?
1 in 12 for taking bribes
47
Names of X3 successful prohibition agents What was the value of illegal liquor seized between them? How many arrests between them?
- Moe Smith - Two Gun Hart - Einstein = $15million = 4,000 arrests
48
When was the St Valentines Day Massacre? How many died? What was this an example of?
1929 7 died inter-gang violence
49
Success : of speakeasies
equality between races | although a by-product, not an aim
50
Corruption in relation to prohibition within Harding's administration What did he do?
Remus "king of bootleggers" paid thousands to protect top government officials from prosecution
51
What % of alcohol was intercepted?
5%
52
How many were killed by 'wood alcohol' in NYC?
34
53
What was the salary of prohibition agents? what did this make this susceptible to? What was this in comparison to profits made by gangsters?
$2,500 Susceptible to bribery (10% accept bribes) Gangsters made $2billion in profits annually
54
Acts involved in the prohibition process;
- LEVER ACT 1917 stop use of grain in alcohol production - PROHIBITION ACT 1918 stop alcohol consumption during war time - VOLSTEAD ACT Jan 1920 stop manufacture / sale / transportation of alcohol
55
Group against prohibition, what was their support like?
ASSOCIATION AGAINST THE PROHIBITION AMENDMENT $$$ wealthy members willing to use their influence to repeal legislation
56
Who did the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment use their $$$ to support?
AL Smith and FDR | who campaigned in Presidential elections for return to 'wet'
57
How many attempts were required to repeal prohibition?
3
58
What did many individuals begin to feel about individual liberties and prohibition?
began to value their individual liberties and freedoms more than morals and values change in people's priorities with greater prosperity of the 1920s began protesting prohibitions 'unconstitutional' nature
59
Case for end to prohibition during depression;
- manufacture would generate jobs - taxes from sales - decreased money on enforcement
60
When was prohibition amendment repealed?
December 1933 | via 21st amendment
61
How many states had enacted prohibition legislation prior to the Volstead Act?
32/50
62
How much removed in tax revenue via prohibition?
$11billion
63
What legacy remained after prohibition?
legacy of organised crime moved into gambling / prohibition
64
What commission was commissioned by Hoover in 1929?
Wickersham commission
65
What did the Wickersham commission find?
prohibition had been a failure due to lack of federal, state and local police enforcement
66
What did the Wickersham commission suggest?
tackling police corruption and organised crime still suggesting retaining prohibition
67
The American Society for the Promotion of Temperance had how many branches by mid-19th?
5,000 branches
68
What was prohibition introduced as part of a package of?
Part of Democrats progressive zeal which attempted to control the morality of cities part of plethora of progressive legislation e.g also legislation against gambling

USA (33 decks)

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