Prohibition Flashcards
Why was prohibition introduced?
Pressure groups (Anti-Saloon League, Women’s Christian Temperance Union - empowered by ‘crusading’ women who now had the vote); worry of effects on industry (Ford); congressmen thought the Volsted act would allow beer; worry of effect on alcoholism on families and desire for death of the saloon
Which act introduced Prohibition?
Volsted Act 1920 - 18th Amendment
Who supported prohibition?
Ford
KKK (5 mil members in 1925)
Anti-Saloon League and Women’s Christian Temperance Union
What was ‘america’s wettest city’?
New Orleans
How many illegal speakeasies were there in NYC?
32000 - only 200 enforcement agents for the whole state
What did America become he biggest importer of?
Cocktail sticks
How many monsters were killed in Chicago?
76 in 1926, 54 in 1927
What was the St Valentines Day massacre?
Al Capone famously involved - 1929 - 6 people gunned down
How much did Al Capone make per year?
About $60 million by 1927
How much did alcohol consumption fall by?
One third
When was alcohol found and destroyed?
1929 - 50 million litres
What did prohibition cause to Coca Cola stock prices?
They doubled
Name two successful Federal enforcers
Izzy Einstein
Eliot Ness and the Untouchables
What happened to disposable income
Instead of being spent on alcohol it fueled the consumer boom
How many Federal enforcement agents were there?
1500 - only 200 in NYC
What was the problem with Federal enforcement
Low paid - open to bribes
Only 1500
Low budget - only $2m/year
How much did the federal government give Prohibition in the budget?
$2m per year ($5 million requested)
How much of lawyers time was now spent on prohibition cases?
44% - led to many court cases being let off by fines
What is an example of political corruption?
Harry Daugherty accepted bribes
Which Governor refused to spend money on prohibition enforcement?
Governor of Washington
How many murders were there in Chicago in total?
227 gangland murders (76 in 1926, 54 in 1927)
How many miles of coastline does the USA have?
5000
How much did George Remus make?
$5 million in 5 yes
How much profit was there per year between Canada and Detroit?
$215 million
What did Warren Harding (president) really thing of prohibition
Secretly broke it - twice weekly poker cabinet fuelled by whisky
What did Hoover think of prohibition?
“Noble in motive” - ordered an investigation into it
When did Hoover repeal prohibition?
21st Amendment 1933
What was the estimated value of smuggling by 1924!
$800 million
How much did the deaths by alcohol consumption increase?
600%
How many of the 1920s breweries reopened after the repeal in 1933?
Only one half
What was a ‘scofflaw’?
A breaker of prohibition laws
