Prohibition Flashcards
Introduction- American national biography online
Roy A. Haynes “ The Success of Prohibition,” Annals of American History.
[Accessed April 30, 2017].
Prohibition was from 1920-1933. It was the prevention of the selling, buying or transporting of alcohol in the United States.
Lead to people drinking alcohol illegally and the process of bootlegging was invented. Also speakeasies- places where people would go to drink alcohol.
Bootlegging became very competitive, gangs were created and violence played a major role in this time era.
prohibition in New York- proquest- How zealots made America a nation of law breakers
The city was divided. Some parts were focused on instilling prohibition at all costs while other parts of the city heavily rebelled against it. People were drinking more alcohol out of fear that it would run out. As a result the government put poison in the denatured alcohol. Bootleggers used this alcohol anyway and passed it on to consumers.
crime^
Prohibition was an utter failure. Alcoholism increased in NewYork and other major cities during the prohibition, which was the exact opposite of its purpose. Organized crime and gangs took over the nation during this time period. Crime existed prior to the prohibition, but during the prohibition, criminals now had access to crime, which before had been nonexistent.
Volstead act
It represented the climax or highpoint of a long campaign and protest by church and women’s organizations, Populists (the Populist movement arose in the late 19th century as a protest by farmers against economic hardship), progressives, temperance societies, and the Anti‐Saloon League, who believed that alcohol was a moral and social ill. Although Prohibition did greatly reduce overall alcohol consumption, the result was widespread disdain for the law.
orgin
At first during WW1, congress passed laws prohibiting the manufacturing of Wine, Beer and other spirits. It was meant to only be a thing while the war was going on, but people thought if its good during times of war, then its good all the time. People thought it would lead to peace, so congress passed an amendment in 1917 that dealt with prohibition.
Medical Beer- just what the doctor ordered ebsco host.
The 18th amendment did not ban alcohol on all forms. Selling, transporting and manufacturing alcohol was prohibited. There were holes in the Volstead act, which is the act that put prohibition into effect. Alcohol for religious purposes was fine, for example wine in church Alcohol prescribed for medical reasons was still legal, then there was the argument about medical beer.
Dr. view on alcohol - just what the doctor ordered ebsco host.
“I have always maintained that every family ought to have an alcoholic stimulant in the house all the time, one physician told the New York Times. “There is nothing more valuable in emergency.” The doctor himself always took a drink at the end of the day–“It braces me up,” he explained–and often prescribed it for patients stricken with “nerves.” For pneumonia, he recommended a shot or two of whiskey.
18th amendment
Born out of protestant catholics and the ASL efforts to remove alcohol from society. Amendment banned the manufacturing, transportation and consumption of alcohol. It was repealed in 1933, 13 years after it was established. It was the only time a amendment has ever been revoked. It was revoked due to the fact that the law was not really being enforced. Overall health and consumption of liquor improved drastically, but crime rose. It stimulated growth in law enforcement. Also it altered the constitution by allowing there to be a 7 year time limit for ratification of bills/acts
only yesterday pg 212-219
the 18th amendment passed with such ease. Passed by senate with only 13 hours of debate. In the house of representatives, the debate on the amendment as a whole only lasted 1 day. In the first 10 years of the amendment, people in favor of prohibition were very organized, while the opposition was not. The war helped a lot. War focused a lot on being rational with food and people in favor of prohibition then made prohibition a grain-saving measure. At the time the public hated anything german. Most big brewing company’s and distillers were german. During time of war everything evolved around being efficient, productive and healthy..
only yesterday pg 212-219 pt 2
America was entering WW1 which was supposed to be the war to end all wars. If that were true and we were victorious then people assumed there would be an everlasting time of peace and prosperity. Pro prohibitionist saw this utopian mindset as a perfect chance to promote sobriety. After the war ended people were tired of having to be efficient, productive and healthy all the time. “ tired of making the US a land fit for hero’s to live in.” People wanted to relax and be themselves” State governments were supposed to help the prohibtion bearu, but by 1927 they were aiding 1/8 of the amount of money they spent enforcing their fish and game laws.
only yesterday part 3
Dry leaders realized that the prohibition problem was harder to control than anticipated, but instead of going to congress and demanding that there be more enforcers of the law, they criticized the wet people as being “Bolshevists and destroyers of civilization, hoping the public opinion would turn again to be back in their favor. Prohibiton and the 18th amendment did not go as planned but neither the pro dry or pro wets did anything positive in favor of their side. Liquor and whiskey came in from Canada. Also alley brewers that were undiscovered by the dry agents prospered. Amount of illegal alcohol diverted was about 13-15 million gallons annually. Majority of wets would say prohibition did the opposite of what it was suppposed to do. “It resulted in a crime wave, increase of immorality, divorce rate and disrespect for the law which imperiled the very foundations of free government.” pg 220. it was thought that there was a significant decrease in drinking, but because it wasn’t crystal clear that there was less, that in its self showed how the law had failed to accomplish what it had set out to accomplish in 1919. pg 229- outbreak of crime and corruption in Chicago was directly related to the attempt to try and ban alcohol from the american home.
Poem on prohibiiton pg 223
prohibition is an awful flop. We like it. It can't stop what its meant to stop. We like it. Its left a trail of graft and slime, Its filled out land with vice and crime, It don't prohibit worth a dime, Nevertheless were for it. This sums up the mindset and public opinion of prohibition.
The era of excess pg 231- speak-easy
During the 20’s speak-easy’s were like the greek mythology creature the hydra. “ Chop off one of its heads, and two grew in its place.” In 1929 police commissioner of NY estimated 32k speak-easies in the metropolis. Brought respectability to crime and criminals.
era of excess pg 221- crime
Crime existed before prohibition, but the increase in crime came from the unified and simultaneous rise of technology. telephones, automobiles and increased weaponary such as the thompson machine guns allowed gangs to dominate more territory. But in order to dominate, they needed money. National prohibition provided them with the money needed to be succesful.
Last call- epilogue/ prohibition failure
Prohibition was overall a complete failure. It increased crime, it deprived the goverment from making money, altered the political system and put extreme limitations on individuals rights. But in some regards it was a succes because people did drink less during prohibition and after.
