Prohibition

Question 1

Why was prohibition introduced?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Which act introduced Prohibition?

Answer 2

Volsted Act 1920 - 18th Amendment

Question 3

Who supported prohibition?

Answer 3

Ford
KKK (5 mil members in 1925)
Anti-Saloon League and Women’s Christian Temperance Union

Question 4

What was ‘america’s wettest city’?

Answer 4

New Orleans

Question 5

How many illegal speakeasies were there in NYC?

Answer 5

32000 - only 200 enforcement agents for the whole state

Question 6

What did America become he biggest importer of?

Answer 6

Cocktail sticks

Question 7

How many monsters were killed in Chicago?

Answer 7

76 in 1926, 54 in 1927

Question 8

What was the St Valentines Day massacre?

Answer 8

Al Capone famously involved - 1929 - 6 people gunned down

Question 9

How much did Al Capone make per year?

Answer 9

About $60 million by 1927

Question 10

How much did alcohol consumption fall by?

Answer 10

One third

Question 11

When was alcohol found and destroyed?

Answer 11

1929 - 50 million litres

Question 12

What did prohibition cause to Coca Cola stock prices?

Answer 12

They doubled

Question 13

Name two successful Federal enforcers

Answer 13

Izzy Einstein

Eliot Ness and the Untouchables

Question 14

What happened to disposable income

Answer 14

Instead of being spent on alcohol it fueled the consumer boom

Question 15

How many Federal enforcement agents were there?

Answer 15

1500 - only 200 in NYC

Question 16

What was the problem with Federal enforcement

Answer 16

Low paid - open to bribes
Only 1500
Low budget - only $2m/year

Question 17

How much did the federal government give Prohibition in the budget?

Answer 17

$2m per year ($5 million requested)

Question 18

How much of lawyers time was now spent on prohibition cases?

Answer 18

44% - led to many court cases being let off by fines

Question 19

What is an example of political corruption?

Answer 19

Harry Daugherty accepted bribes

Question 20

Which Governor refused to spend money on prohibition enforcement?

Answer 20

Governor of Washington

Question 21

How many murders were there in Chicago in total?

Answer 21

227 gangland murders (76 in 1926, 54 in 1927)

Question 22

How many miles of coastline does the USA have?

Answer 22

5000

Question 23

How much did George Remus make?

Answer 23

$5 million in 5 yes

Question 24

How much profit was there per year between Canada and Detroit?

Answer 24

$215 million

Question 25

What did Warren Harding (president) really thing of prohibition

Answer 25

Secretly broke it - twice weekly poker cabinet fuelled by whisky

Question 26

What did Hoover think of prohibition?

Answer 26

“Noble in motive” - ordered an investigation into it

Question 27

When did Hoover repeal prohibition?

Answer 27

21st Amendment 1933

Question 28

What was the estimated value of smuggling by 1924!

Answer 28

$800 million

Question 29

How much did the deaths by alcohol consumption increase?

Answer 29

600%

Question 30

How many of the 1920s breweries reopened after the repeal in 1933?

Answer 30

Only one half

Question 31

What was a ‘scofflaw’?

Answer 31

A breaker of prohibition laws