Prohibition
Prohibition was a tie period in which the sale and distribution of Alcohol was illegal. The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1919, authorized it, and the Volstead Act implemented and enforced it. Prohibition was popular in the South and West. Southern whites didn't want African-Americans to drink alcohol, in case it caused them to free themselves from their socially imposed subservience. Westerners associated drunkenness with other crimes like prostitution and gambling, and prohibition was an attack on that.
However, Citizens in the eastern cities did not approve of the amendment. To many foreigners, Alcohol was a part of their way of life and social custom. Yet the 18th amendment was passed anyway.
However, Citizens in the eastern cities did not approve of the amendment. To many foreigners, Alcohol was a part of their way of life and social custom. Yet the 18th amendment was passed anyway.
Historically, the government has had trouble enforcing a law that a majority of the population, or even a substantial minority, did not agree with. After the disillusionment of WWI, many no longer saw the point of self denial. Hypocritical politicians who supported the amendment publicly often drank privately. Soldiers felt cheated because the law had been enacted while they were away - without their consent. Workers complained that they could not drink cheap beer while the wealthy could buy as much illegal booze they wanted. Teenagers thought it was cool to drink bootleg liquor. To much of the public disagreed with Prohibition.
Enforcement of prohibition repeatedly ran into trouble because of resistance from all sides. Federal agencies were often understaffed and underpaid, causing corruption and bribery to run rampart among the agents. Many people went to illegal saloons, called speakeasies, where heavy drinking was even more common. Alcohol was often stronger because transporting many bottles was harder to accomplish. "Rum Runners" also brought in alcohol from Canada and the West Indies. Some people even made their own liquor, called "bathtub gin" that could could cause sickness or even death. And most influential were the bootlegging gangsters.
The following video shows various newsreels showing Federal agents disposing of Alcohol, Bootleggers preparing alcohol, and the announcement of Prohibition, among other things.
The following video shows various newsreels showing Federal agents disposing of Alcohol, Bootleggers preparing alcohol, and the announcement of Prohibition, among other things.
Texas Guinan, an actress and entrepreneur, was one of many who operated a number of illegal speakeasies, throughout prohibition. Her most famous one was the 300 club, which featured 40 scantily clad dancers. She was arrested many times, but claimed that her patrons had brought the drinks themselves, and that she had never sold a drink in her life. She expertly captured the drama and rebellious spirit of Prohibition.
The rich profits of bootlegging led to a rise in organized crime. Gangsters fought and killed each other in violent crime wars. They used machine guns and shotguns to remove competitors. The gang wars in Chicago led to the death of over 500 mobsters. Arrests and convictions rarely happened because of the loyalty this particular brand of criminals had for each other.
Gangsters quickly began other illegal activities, such as prostitution, gambling, drugs, smuggling, and kidnapping. They often threatened shopkeepers to pay protection money or have their stores destroyed. By 1930, the average income of the underworld was between 12 billion and 18 billion dollars, several times that of the US Government. Organized crime quickly became one of the most profitable and ruthless forms of employment.
One of the most infamous acts of organized crime was the Kidnapping of American Hero Charles A. Lindbergh's infant son in 1932. The child was ransomed, and eventually found dead. It is often declared the most shocking and brutal crimes of the Gangster era.
Al Capone is considered the quintessential mobster. Known as Scarface on the streets of Chicago, his ruthless bootlegging practices made him millions in blood money. His armor plated car with bullet-poof windows, as well as being branded "Public Enemy Number One," made him a formidable presence. However, he could not be convicted of many of the crimes he was purported to have committed. He was finally jailed in 1932 for Income Tax evasion.
Though Prohibition is often considered one of Americas worst failures, it did have some positive outcomes. Bank savings increased, absenteeism in the workplace decreased, and overall, less alcohol was consumed. It represented the American Spirit of trial and error, the battle of personal rights over the good of the people, and the power of the central government over individual life.