USA: crime and corruption Flashcards
what is the 18th amendment?
the Voltstead act
when was the voltstead act introduced?
1920
what did the voltstead act do?
made it illegal to make, sell or transport alcohol
what were the reasons for prohibition?
alcohol caused an increase in crime
pressure from groups such as the anti-saloon league and the women’s temperance union
said to be the cause of wife beating
linked to inefficiency at work
lowered moral standards
unpatriotic due to war with Germany who brewed the majority of beer sold in the USA
where could people get alcohol during prohibition?
speakeasies, bootlegging, smuggling and medicinal use
how many speakeasies were there in New York alone?
30,000
how many people dies due to alcohol poisoning in 1926?
50,000 people
when did prohibition end?
1933
what did gangsters control during the 1920s?
speakeasies, gambling houses, nightclubs, brothels and supplying drugs
who’s gang did Al Capone take over in Chicago in 1921?
Johnny Torrio
who did Al Capone bribe to build his empire?
city officials such as the mayor Big Bill Thompson
how many of his rivals were killed between 1925 and 1929?
200
when was the St Valentines day Massacre?
14th February 1929
what was the St Valentines day Massacre?
Capone’s men dressed as police and gunned down 7 of rival Bugs Moran’s gang in an attempt to kill Moran and take control of his operations
what was Capone’s alabi for the massacre?
he was in Florida on holiday
