The Role Of Prohibition In The 1920's

The contributing factor to the sudden increase of felonies was the organization of crime, especially in large cities. Because liquor was no longer legally available, the public turned to gangsters who readily took on the bootlegging industry and supplied them with liquor. Most speak-easies were owned by bootlegging mobsters. On account of the industry being so profitable, more gangsters became involved in the money-making business. Crime became so organized because "criminal groups organize around the steady source of income provided by laws against victimless crimes such as consuming alcohol" (Thorton, 13). As a result of the money involved in the bootlegging industry, there was much rival between gangs. The profit motive caused over four hundred gang related murders a year in Chicago alone (Stack, 4). Prohibition actually enabled organised crime to grow and in an effort to stay in

The prohibition of alcohol was a mistake that the United States government made in the 1920s. Making alcohol illegal led to a decrease in tax revenue and an increase in government spending. The government started Prohibition to produce more money, but it was actually lost. Prohibition also led to an increase in organized crime. Citizens wanted alcohol, so they tried to do whatever it took to obtain it. Lastly, the prohibition of alcohol caused some government officials to be corrupt. The government officials chose to function off of their own self interests rather than what the government wanted them to do. Overall, Prohibition was a waste of time for the United States government and its citizens.

Along with bootlegging came crime and gangs. Gangs were very big in the 1920s. Some well known gangsters are Al Capone, Dutch Shultz, Johnny Torrio, and Charles Luciano. These gangsters fought against each other for control of the city. Al Capone was the most superior gangster in the city. Capone was in controls of speakeasies, which were undercover bars so people could illegally drink generally without getting caught. He also controlled breweries, brothels, nightclubs and many other popular places. It was estimated he was making around $100,000,000 a year.

The huge public demand for alcohol led to a soaring business for bootleggers. When prohibition began, people immediately wanted a way to drink. Hence, the extremely profitable bootlegging business was born. Before Prohibition gangs existed, but had little influence. Now, they had gained tremendous power almost overnight. Bootlegging was easy - New York City gangs paid hundreds of poor immigrants to maintain stills in their apartments. Common citizens, once law abiding, now became criminals by making their own alcohol. However, this posed risks for those who made their own. "The

The Prohibition during the 1920s has been widely scrutinized and is often used as an example today to show how banning a specific substance after it has been in wide circulation is a wasted effort. Many historians, economists, and Americans have analyzed the complications during the Prohibition and have culminated their thoughts to provide an accurate and in depth analysis of what caused the Prohibition to fail. Similarly, experts have presented data that shows just how drastically each year differed from one another during the Prohibition. However, there are many factors that affected each individual year that ultimately culminated to not only a universal distaste for the Prohibition, but for a complete repeal of the ban on alcohol nearly ten years later. Although the Prohibition is widely considered a failure in the sense that it did not properly moderate the selling and drinking of alcohol, the basic idea upon which the Prohibition was founded can be used to moderate drinking in a different manner that may better society as a whole.

In January of 1919, the United States House of Representatives and Senate ratified the 18th amendment. The purpose of the 18th amendment was to ban the manufacturing, transport, and sale of alcoholic beverages. As America entered the prohibition era, everyone was certain that the new law would put thousands of bars around the country out of business. Although it was formed to stop drinking completely, it did not even come close. It was going to take more than a new law to change the lifestyles of millions of Americans. (Feinstein 11)

During 1920 in the United States, there are Prohibition of Alcohol. The Prohibition stop alcohols from being manufactured, transported, import, export, and selling alcoholic beverages will be illegal or restricted. This Prohibition was created so it can lower crime rate and corruption, reduce social problem, lower the taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and to improve health and hygiene in America, but during the prohibition crime rate gone higher, and prisons were overloaded. Most of this happen, because illegal and legal home brewing was popular during the prohibition, but some commercial was still produced and can only be obtain from government warehouses for the use of religious practices.

The huge public demand for alcohol led to a soaring business for bootleggers. When prohibition began, people immediately wanted a way to drink. Hence, the extremely profitable bootlegging business was born. Before Prohibition, gangs existed, but had little influence. Now, they had gained tremendous power almost overnight. Bootlegging was easy - New York City gangs paid hundreds of poor immigrants to maintain stills

Since American’s still wanted to drink alcohol, gangsters like Al Capone and other American’s began to sell alcohol illegally and made millions annually from doing so. Operations like Al Capone’s caused gang violence to increase and prevented police officers from doing their jobs, as

The prohibition movement took action in the 1920’s when Congress issued the 18th Amendment. This put a ban on the selling, manufacturing, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The intent of the 18th Amendment was to reduce the crime rates and social issues in which alcohol played a part in causing, as well as developing better health and hygiene for members of society in the 1920’s. Although prohibition had a positive intent, it had negative outcomes, such as the rise of organized crime, increased death rates, and more alcoholics than the amount before prohibition. Despite the negative impact prohibition had on the nation during the time, it has positively impacted our nation in the long run. The prohibition movement ultimately positively

“On January 16, 1920, the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol were prohibited (“Prohibition”).” Anywhere handling alcohol was required to shut down (“Prohibition”). Many people believed that alcohol was the root of many problems, so that with the elimination of it our nation’s problems might decrease. The ‘noble experiment’, as many called it, was supposed to relieve the nation of issues like, crime, social problems, tax burden, and health issues (Thornton). With Prohibition being set into motion we actually saw the opposite of what we had hoped. The new amendment was ineffective because the crime rates increased, the work force changed, and health problems skyrocketed.

Chicago saw over two hundred gang related murders in 1923 through 1926. Bootleggers had a large customer base to establish a lucrative business. This business was also dangerous to the public because alcohol wasn’t regulated. This led to the sell and consumption of alcohol that was unsafe and left people blind. Al Capone said all he did was “supply a public demand”(196).

The 1920s in America was known as the “Roaring Twenties”, and is portrayed as an exciting time with positive changes. The reality, however, was that even though there were changes favored by most of the population, there were a lot of issues that many of the population argued over. One of those issues was prohibition, which forbid the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages within the United States. Most of the people who supported prohibition lived in rural areas, while most of the people who were against prohibition lived in cities. If I had lived during the 1920s, I don’t think I would have supported prohibition. I understand that alcohol destroyed some families lives, but people are going to find ways to sell

Predicaments with Prohibition The social commentator and American cowboy Will Rogers once stated, “Prohibition is better than no liquor at all.” In the early 1900’s, alcohol abuse tore families apart and was, and still is the leading abused drug. The introduction and repeal of Prohibition failed to eliminate the domestic and social problems caused by alcohol in the United States in the early 1900’s. The introduction and enforcement of the quickly became corrupt, and eventually became evident that the ban on alcohol could not be achievable for the United States, and its alcoholically accustomed citizens.

Some states such as New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts did not enforce the prohibition act of 1920, causing funds to drop to the states for law enforcement agencies(GILDER). The prohibition Caused the rise of organized crime in the United States. Prohibition stated the creation of toxic moonshine, bootleggers used lead coils and lead soldering putting lead in moonshine(PEARSON). Others put additives in moonshine such as iodine and creosote causing blindness or even death. Over 12,000 people died from toxic moonshine Al Capone made over 60 million dollars from Bootlegging that’s 60 million dollars other US citizens lose. Many Bootleggers used Industrial alcohol in Products. The Federal Government started putting more poisonous chemicals in industrial alcohol causing over 10,000 deaths from consumption(PEARSON).Overall there are more negative effects of prohibition in the 1920’s. From poisonous alcohol to enforcement budget cuts it is all negative and is why prohibition failed. Even though prohibition stopped some americans from drinking alcohol it created a new door for new kinds of alcohol to come in to the US. Prohibition is bad in my opinion because it caused unnecessary deaths in america. That sets a final ending to the 18th Amendment in the 1920’s and forever