Prohibition Flashcards
What was the Volstead Act?
Liquor (contained more than 0.5% alcohol) forbidden to be manufactured, sold or transported (became law in January 1920)
Name 1 temperance group encouraging the banning of alcohol.
Women’s Christian Temperance Union or Anti Saloon League
In what year was alcohol banned across USA?
1920
What was a speakeasy?
Illegal bar
By 1930 how many speakeasies were in New York?
30,000
What was bootlegging?
Smuggling alcohol
What was home made alcohol called?
Moonshine ( often made in distilleries or stills)
Give 1 reason why enforcing prohibition was difficult?
Not enough enforcers, public against prohibition, gangsters
Name two famous prohibition agents.
Moe Smith and Izzy Einstein
In the first five and a half years of prohibition, how many speakeasies did these agents raid?
3,000 (4,900 arrested and confiscated 3 million bottles of spirits)
What did temperance movements do?
Agreed not to drink alcohol and campaigned to get others to give up alcohol (members were devout Christians)
By 1916, how many states had banned saloons?
21 states
Why did supporters of prohibition (dries) claim was the problem of alcohol?
- social harm to children by drunken parents (e.g. Claims 3,000 infants smothered year,y in beds)
- unpatriotic as breweries run by German immigrants
- claims Bolshevism (Russian Revolution) thrived on drink
- alcohol lead to lawlessness
Why were one in 12 prohibition agents get sacked for?
Corruption
