Prohibition Flashcards
What is prohibition?
This prevented Americans from selling, making or carrying any drink with more than 0.05% of alcohol.
(Most beer contains 5% alcohol) it was introduced in 1920 and lasted until 1933. It was never illegal to buy or drink it.
Why was prohibition actioned?
Partly because of religious views. After WW1 the impact of alcohol had an affect on working class families when the man of the house would spend all their wages at the pub and come home drunk.
When did prohibition happen?
The idea was first proposed in 1917 but went into action on the 16th January 1920 - 1933
How did the Government enforce prohibition?
Government poisoned alcohol so tens of thousands people died. To help keep the ban of alcohol there was a beruea of prohibition.
What problems were caused by prohibition?
People went to bordering countries. People /gangs smuggled alcohol or tired to make it. People tried to get alcohol for medical reasons. The biggest problems was the increase in gangs and crime rate.
Why was there a campaign against alcohol?
-Some support came from smaller towns in rural areas where Protestant churches had large congregations.
3000 children died by being smothered in bed because of drunk parents.
Families were starving because the men of the house would blow away all the money on alcohol. (People were like slaves to alcohol)
Religious believers saw alcohol and drunkness as a cause of crime, poverty and sexual immorality.
During WW1 drinkers were accused of being patriotic cowards for not going to war.
Why was prohibition a failure?
The justice system was corrupt. Important politicians did it secretly at speakeasies and were involved in the liquor trade to make more money. They also took bribes. (Police officers could be bribed and they would take the bribe as they didn’t get pain enough)
By the late 1920s fear and bribery made law enforcement ineffective.
What were speakeasies and why were they a success?
People were willing to pay a lot of money to go to speakeasies and drink alcohol. Al copone made $60 million a year.
Speakeasies were supplied by gangsters and bootleggers.
Speakeasies were everywhere in the US so couldn’t be shut down. They were basically secret bars hidden everywhere.
What were boot leggers?
They hid alcohol in their boots when crossing borders and transported it through the country. They supplied speakeasies.
How did gangsters control trade thorough violence?
Gangs made about $2 billion through illegal selling of alcohol. They managed to keep control of it through violence. There were 130 gang murders.
Capone was supported by a gang. To keep control they murdered 300 people to be the only gang in Chicago.
What is meant by slaves of the saloon?
The saloon businesses is selling of alcohol. There were 1,000,000 millions men addicted to alcohol. They are like slaves to alcohol because alcohol control them.
What were the effects of prohibition?
Law enforcement officers weren’t payed enough and therefore took bribes. There weren’t enough of them and they were responsible for a huge area.
Millions of Americans particularly in urban areas were not prepared to obey this law.
Gangsters such as Capone viewed prohibition as business by supplying the public’s demand. By 1925 there were more speakeasies in America than the there were saloons in 1919.
How easy was it to find alcohol in America?
Izzy Einstein filled a report to see how easy it was to find alcohol after arriving in a new city.
Chicago: 21 minutes
Atlanta: 17 minutes
Pittsburgh: 11 minutes
New Orleans: 35 seconds (he was offered whisky by his taxi driver when he asked where he could get a drink)
How did prohibition lead to corruption?
Many law enforcement officers were involved in liquor trade. Breweries stayed in operation during prohibition by bribing local government officials, prohibition agents and police to leave them alone.
Even when arrests were made, it was difficult to get convictions because senior officers and judges were in spy of the criminals. 1/12 prohibition agents were fired for corruption.
How did prohibition lead to organised crime?
Gangs fought with each other to control the liquor trade and also the prostitution, gambling and protection rackets at speakeasies. Many gang members carried around a sun-machine gun which could be hidden under over coats. In Chicago alone there were 130 gangland murders in 1926-1927.
