Noah Vinter
The prohibition of alcohol in the United States during the 1920s, also known as noble experiment, was a period of national ban on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. The Eighteenth Amendment, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1917 and ratified in 1919, enabled the Volstead Act, which set the rules for enforcing the ban. The prohibition was a result of the temperance movement, which had been active since the 1800s and gained momentum during World War I, with religious and women's groups advocating for the ban to prevent alcohol abuse and its perceived destructive effects on families. The enforcement of the ban was challenging, with federal and local governments struggling to prevent the illegal production and sale of liquor (bootlegging), the emergence of speakeasies, and the rise of organized crime. Despite initial signs of success, including a decline in drunkenness arrests and alcohol consumption, the prohibition ultimately led to corruption, economic decline, and disenchantment, resulting in its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
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The Eighteenth Amendment
The enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment was challenging due to factors such as the varied American geography and the lack of centralised authority. While some states strictly enforced Prohibition, others, like Maryland and New York, refused to comply. The federal and local governments struggled to implement the ban, and corruption in law enforcement became widespread as criminal organisations bribed officials.
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The Volstead Act
While the Volstead Act prohibited most alcoholic beverages, alcohol for medical and religious purposes remained legal. Physicians could prescribe a limited amount of spirits to their patients, and religious leaders could obtain permits to use alcohol for sacramental purposes. Industrial alcohol use was also allowed under the act. However, the production, importation, and distribution of alcoholic beverages were taken over by criminal gangs, leading to the establishment of organised crime syndicates and widespread corruption in law enforcement.
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Bootlegging
The illegal manufacturing and sale of liquor, known as "bootlegging", occurred on a large scale across the United States during the Prohibition Era. An entire black market emerged, comprising bootleggers, speakeasies, and distilling operations.
Bootleggers relied on creative ways to hide their shipments. For example, in 1926, federal agents in Los Angeles discovered a truck that appeared to be carrying lumber. However, upon inspection, they found a trapdoor that led to 70 cases of prime Scotch whisky.
Medicinal alcohol was another source of liquor for bootleggers. Doctors were able to prescribe medicinal alcohol to their patients, and pharmacists could sell it. It was not difficult to obtain or fill counterfeit prescriptions at pharmacies. Bootleggers bought prescription forms from unscrupulous doctors and mounted widespread scams. In 1931, a scam involving 400 pharmacists and 1,000 doctors was uncovered, but only 12 doctors and 13 pharmacists were indicted, and those charged faced only a $50 fine.
Selling alcohol through drugstores became such a lucrative open secret that it is mentioned in works such as *The Great Gatsby*. Historians speculate that Charles R. Walgreen expanded from 20 stores to 525 during the 1920s due to medicinal alcohol sales.
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Speakeasies
The 18th Amendment, which illegalised the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol, was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1917 and ratified in 1919. This led to the formation of illicit bars, also known as "speakeasies", all over America. The phrase "speakeasy" originates from a term used by bartenders where customers were asked to "speak easy" or "speak softly" when ordering alcohol to avoid attracting attention. Speakeasies were generally ill-kept secrets, and owners often bribed police officers to look the other way or tip them off about planned raids.
At the height of Prohibition in the late 1920s, there were 32,000 speakeasies in New York alone, with estimates ranging as high as 100,000. Speakeasies ranged from fancy clubs with jazz bands and dance floors to dingy backrooms, basements, and rooms inside apartments. They were often set up by crime members such as Al Capone, who made $60 million a year supplying illegal beer and liquor to thousands of speakeasies in his control.
The competition for patrons in speakeasies created a demand for live entertainment, particularly jazz music and dancing. Speakeasies also contributed to a dramatic shift in the way women drank. Before Prohibition, it was uncommon for women to consume alcohol in public, especially in the company of men, and in some states, women were legally barred from saloons. Speakeasies actively courted female patrons with amenities such as restaurants, dancing, and powder rooms. The social changes brought about by speakeasies continued even after Prohibition ended, paving the way for modern nightlife.
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Religious influence
One of the most prominent religious organizations within the temperance movement was the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The WCTU, founded in the late 1800s, played a crucial role in advocating for prohibition. They believed that alcohol was a destructive force in families and marriages and that banning it would help prevent abuse from alcoholic husbands. The WCTU spent years building support for the movement through education and local and state laws. Their efforts gained particular momentum during the Progressive Era (1890-1920), when hostility towards saloons became widespread.
Another influential religious group was the Anti-Saloon League, established in 1893. The League was driven by a reaction to urban growth and the rise of evangelical Protestantism, which viewed saloon culture as corrupt and ungodly. They led a new wave of attacks on the sale of liquor beginning in 1906. The Anti-Saloon League also promoted anti-German sentiment during World War I, as many brewers were German and opposed to prohibition. This further bolstered support for a ban on alcohol.
The push for prohibition was often led by women and Protestant congregations, and it intersected with other social reform movements of the time, such as abolitionism. Religious groups played a significant role in shaping public opinion and exerting political pressure to bring about the prohibition of alcohol.
While not all alcohol was banned during Prohibition, as religious use of wine was permitted, the religious influence on the movement was undeniable. The efforts of religious organizations and individuals contributed to the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act, which together instituted the nationwide ban on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors in 1920.
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Frequently asked questions
The Prohibition of alcohol, also known as the Eighteenth Amendment, was a ban on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors in the United States that went into effect in 1920.
The push for prohibition was led by the temperance movement, which included women's groups such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and religious groups such as evangelical Protestants. These groups viewed alcohol as a destructive force in families and marriages and as corrupt and ungodly.
The Prohibition of alcohol was enforced by federal and local governments, although it was challenging to do so. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department, and the Bureau of Prohibition were all involved in enforcement efforts. Enforcement was generally stronger in rural areas and small towns, where populations were more sympathetic to the legislation, and looser in urban areas.
The Prohibition of alcohol had a range of effects in the 1920s. It led to a decline in arrests for drunkenness and a reported 30% drop in alcohol consumption. However, it also led to the emergence of a black market, including bootleggers, speakeasies, and distilling operations, as well as organized crime syndicates. Corruption in law enforcement became widespread, and Prohibition was detrimental to the economy, eliminating jobs in the alcoholic beverage industry.
