Lena Savoie
The Prohibition Era in the United States began in 1920 with the Eighteenth Amendment, which banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. The movement to ban alcohol was driven by concerns about alcohol abuse and its destructive impact on families and society, as well as religious and moral beliefs. The Anti-Saloon League and other organizations, such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, played a significant role in advocating for prohibition. While prohibition was intended to reduce drinking and improve society, it had unintended consequences, including the rise of organized crime, bootlegging, and speakeasies. By the late 1920s, opposition to prohibition grew, and it was eventually repealed with the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Alcohol consumption | Alcohol consumption declined dramatically during Prohibition, with consumption in the early 1920s at about 30% of pre-prohibition levels. However, consumption increased towards the end of the decade as illegal supplies became more available and a new generation rejected the law. |
| Crime and violence | Alcohol-related crime and violence escalated during the 1920s, leading to a rise in gang violence and organized crime. However, some scholars attribute this increase in crime to urbanization rather than the criminalization of alcohol. |
| Enforcement | Both federal and local governments struggled to enforce Prohibition due to a lack of dedicated agents and resources. Enforcement varied across regions, with rural areas and small towns generally enforcing it more strictly than urban areas. |
| Social and cultural impact | Prohibition aimed to reduce drinking and eliminate the businesses associated with alcoholic beverages, including saloons, which were considered offensive institutions by many Americans. However, it led to the proliferation of speakeasies and increased social interaction between men and women in these establishments. |
| Economic impact | Prohibition was a major blow to the alcoholic beverage industry. It also affected businesses such as restaurants that could no longer profit from liquor sales. Some businesses, such as drugstores, expanded due to the sale of medicinal alcohol. |
| Political impact | As the Great Depression worsened in the early 1930s, the focus shifted from enforcing Prohibition to addressing the economic crisis. Democrats argued that repealing Prohibition would create jobs and raise revenue for the government. |
| Health impact | Doctors were able to prescribe medicinal alcohol, leading to widespread scams and counterfeit prescriptions. |
| Religious influence | The temperance movement, rooted in Protestant churches, played a significant role in advocating for Prohibition. However, fundamentalist and nativist forces gained control over the movement, alienating more moderate members. |
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What You'll Learn
Alcohol was seen as a destructive force in families and marriages
Alcohol abuse was a significant concern in the 1920s, with men being the predominant abusers, and women and children suffering the consequences within families. Alcohol abuse was seen as a destructive force in families and marriages, leading to a strong push for prohibition. The temperance movement, rooted in America's Protestant churches, first urged moderation, but eventually demanded that local, state, and national governments prohibit alcohol outright. The Anti-Saloon League, formed in 1893, played a crucial role in this by combining propaganda, religion, and political coercion to make alcohol a wedge issue in elections.
Saloons, which were retail businesses selling beer and whiskey, were considered offensive and noxious institutions by many Americans. They were often associated with other vices such as gambling and prostitution. The leaders of the prohibition movement believed that removing the license to sell alcohol from these establishments would give churches and reform organizations an opportunity to persuade Americans to give up drinking. Prohibition was also seen as a way to "civilize unruly Americans" and eliminate the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages.
The negative impact of alcohol on families and marriages was a key factor in the support for prohibition. Women, in particular, played a strong role in the temperance movement as they sought to protect their families from the destructive effects of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse by men could lead to financial hardship, domestic violence, and the breakdown of marriages, leaving women and children vulnerable due to their limited legal rights and financial dependence on their husbands. Prohibition was seen as a way to mitigate these issues and create more stable family units.
The enforcement of prohibition, however, proved challenging. While drinking and alcoholism initially declined, the illegal manufacturing and sale of liquor ("bootlegging"), the proliferation of speakeasies (illegal drinking establishments), and the rise of organized crime and gangs posed significant problems. Federal and local governments struggled to enforce prohibition effectively, especially in urban areas. Despite these challenges, prohibition did have a lasting impact on alcohol consumption, and it took a long time for consumption rates to return to their pre-prohibition levels.
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The rise of saloons and their associated vices, like gambling and prostitution
Saloons, which first appeared in the United States in the 19th century, were establishments that combined bars, gambling halls, and social gathering places. They were particularly common in the American West, serving customers such as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers, and miners. However, they were also present in urban areas. By 1880, the growth of saloons was well underway, with Leavenworth, Kansas, boasting about 150 saloons and four wholesale liquor houses.
Saloons were often elaborately decorated, featuring dark wood furnishings, mirrors, long bar counters, ornate decorations, chandeliers, and artwork on the walls. They offered various forms of entertainment, such as live music, dancing girls, and gambling, making them popular places for social gatherings and business deals. However, they were also associated with excessive drinking, rowdiness, and moral decay, leading to concerns about societal problems.
As the brewing industry became more competitive, brewers entered the retail business and expanded the number of saloons. To increase profits, saloon keepers sometimes introduced vices such as gambling and prostitution into their establishments. Many Americans considered saloons offensive institutions and believed that removing their business licenses would allow churches and reform organizations to encourage Americans to give up drinking.
The formation of the Anti-Saloon League in 1893 marked the beginning of the prohibition movement, which aimed to eliminate the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages. The movement gained strength, and local prohibition laws began to be enacted with the support of organizations like the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The eventual prohibition in the United States in the 1920s put an end to the rise of saloons and their associated vices.
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The negative impact on the economy and tax revenue
The negative economic impact of the prohibition was multi-faceted. Firstly, the ban on alcohol manufacture and sales directly affected the alcoholic beverage industry, which was once a prosperous sector. This included brewers, distillers, vintners, and wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. St. Louis, a major alcohol producer, was ready to resume distribution with 50,000 barrels of beer immediately after the repeal, highlighting the financial damage caused by the ban.
Secondly, the prohibition era encouraged the growth of illegal alcohol production and sales, known as "bootlegging". This led to increased costs for law enforcement, jails, and prisons, as authorities struggled to enforce the ban. The rise of organised crime and the American Mafia further strained resources and public finances.
Thirdly, the ban on alcohol sales negatively impacted businesses that previously relied on liquor sales for profit, such as restaurants and drugstores. Some restaurants were forced to close their doors due to financial strain. Drugstores, on the other hand, thrived during this time, with companies like Walgreens expanding rapidly due to medicinal alcohol sales.
The federal government also lost tax revenue from alcohol sales, which was a significant source of income before the ratification of the income tax amendment in 1913. The loss of this revenue stream may have contributed to the government's lack of dedication to enforcing the prohibition.
Finally, the prohibition era contributed to unemployment and economic hardship during the Great Depression. As millions lost their jobs and stood in breadlines, enforcing the ban on alcohol seemed less critical. The repeal of prohibition was thus seen as a way to create jobs and raise revenue for the federal government.
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The rise of organised crime and the American Mafia
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which came into effect in January 1920, banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This led to a surge in demand for illegal alcohol, creating a lucrative opportunity for organised crime gangs, including the American Mafia, to dominate the black market for alcohol.
Prior to Prohibition, gang activity in the U.S. was limited to small-scale street gangs operating within specific ethnic neighbourhoods. However, the lucrative nature of the illegal alcohol trade encouraged gangs to expand their operations and coordinate their activities across state and international borders. The new alcohol trafficking gangs crossed ethnic lines, with Italians, Irish, Jews, and Poles working together.
The rise of organised crime during Prohibition was driven by the enormous profits to be made from the illegal production and trafficking of liquor. By the early 1920s, gangsters were employing lawyers, accountants, brew masters, boat captains, truckers, and warehouse workers to facilitate their operations. They also bribed police, politicians, judges, juries, witnesses, and even federal Prohibition agents to turn a blind eye to their activities.
The largest syndicates born out of Prohibition were based in New York and Chicago, port cities with large populations of immigrants from Europe. In New York, Charles "Lucky" Luciano brought together the city's biggest Italian and Jewish mobsters to dominate the bootlegging business. By the mid-1920s, Luciano was a multimillionaire and New York's top bootlegger. In Chicago, Al "Scarface" Capone became the most infamous gangster and bootlegger of the Prohibition era. At its height in the late 1920s, Capone's criminal operation reached an estimated $100 million in annual revenue (nearly $1.4 billion in 2016) from liquor distribution, speakeasies, beer brewing, gambling, prostitution, and other rackets.
The rise of organised crime during Prohibition had a significant impact on violence and corruption in American cities. Ordinary citizens were at risk of getting caught in the crossfire of gang rivalries, shootings, bombings, and killings. Gangsters also stirred up corruption in politics and law enforcement, bribing officials to turn a blind eye to their illegal activities.
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The failure of federal enforcement
The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which came into effect in 1920, prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating beverages. However, the enforcement of this amendment, known as Prohibition, proved challenging and ultimately failed due to various factors.
Firstly, the amendment lacked centralized authority for enforcement, with responsibility falling to both the federal government and individual states. This "concurrent power" clause allowed states to minimize their enforcement efforts, leaving the federal government with insufficient resources to enforce Prohibition nationwide. The federal government relied on state criminal justice systems for enforcement, but these systems were often overburdened and lacked adequate funding.
Secondly, the Volstead Act, which provided rules for enforcing Prohibition, contained loopholes that were exploited. For example, pharmacists were allowed to dispense whiskey by prescription, leading to widespread scams and counterfeit prescriptions. Bootleggers also took advantage of the lack of clarity around home wine-making and religious use of alcohol, further undermining enforcement efforts.
Thirdly, the illegal liquor trade during Prohibition led to widespread corruption within law enforcement. Police officers and Prohibition agents were often bribed or tempted by the lucrative opportunity to enter the bootlegging business themselves. This undermined public trust in law enforcement and made it difficult to effectively enforce Prohibition.
The varied geography of the United States also posed challenges to enforcement. The extensive seaways, ports, and borders shared with Canada and Mexico made it difficult to prevent the smuggling of alcohol into the country. Additionally, local laws varied, with some states banning alcohol possession outright while others had looser restrictions, making it harder to enforce a consistent standard nationwide.
Finally, public opinion and compliance with Prohibition waned over time. While initially, most U.S. citizens obeyed the law, a new generation of Americans emerged who disregarded it and rejected the self-sacrifice attitude of the prohibition movement. This, coupled with the proliferation of underground criminal activity and the growth of "speakeasies," made it increasingly difficult for authorities to enforce Prohibition effectively.
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Frequently asked questions
The Prohibition was an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. It came into effect in 1920.
There were several reasons why people supported the Prohibition. Many Americans were concerned about the drinking behaviour of their fellow citizens and believed that alcohol was destroying families and marriages. The leaders of the Prohibition movement also wanted to remove the blight of saloons, which were seen as offensive institutions that introduced gambling and prostitution.
It's hard to say if the Prohibition worked. While alcohol consumption did decline substantially, many Americans continued to drink and found inventive ways to do so, such as through illegal manufacturing and the creation of speakeasies.
By the late 1920s, a new opposition to the Prohibition emerged. Critics claimed that the policy lowered tax revenue and imposed "rural" Protestant religious values on "urban" America. As the country entered the Great Depression, many also questioned the need to focus on Prohibition enforcement while millions were losing their jobs.
