Mason Delacroix
The Prohibition era in the United States, which began on January 17, 1920, was marked by the banning of the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. While some supported Prohibition for its potential to reduce alcohol consumption and improve societal morals, others recognized its negative economic impact and the rise of organized crime and violence. Despite the ban, alcohol remained readily available through bootlegging, black markets, and prescription alcohol, leading to concerns about public health and corruption in law enforcement. The unintended consequences of Prohibition, including the decline of the amusement and entertainment industries, contributed to growing opposition, and ultimately, the repeal of Prohibition with the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for Prohibition | To reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages |
| Who wanted Prohibition? | Leaders of the prohibition movement, including the Anti-Saloon League and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union |
| Why they wanted Prohibition | They were concerned about the drinking behaviour of Americans, believing there was a culture of drink among some sectors of the population that was spreading with immigration from Europe |
| What they wanted | To remove the license to do business from brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages |
| What they believed | Once the license to do business was removed from the liquor traffic, churches and reform organizations would have the opportunity to persuade Americans to give up drink |
| What happened after Prohibition | Americans who wanted to continue drinking alcohol found loopholes or used illegal methods to obtain alcohol, leading to the emergence of black markets and crime syndicates |
| Effect on alcohol consumption | Disputed. Some research indicates that alcohol consumption declined substantially, while other research indicates that Prohibition did not reduce alcohol consumption in the long term |
| Effect on crime | Disputed. Some sources claim that violent crime increased during Prohibition and organized crime emerged, while others argue that crime rates overall declined during this period and that organized crime existed before and after Prohibition |
| Effect on the alcoholic beverage industry | A major blow, with the repeal of Prohibition being a step towards the recovery of this sector of the economy |
| Effect on tax revenue | Negative, with Prohibition lowering tax revenue at a critical time before and during the Great Depression |
| Effect on religion | Imposed "rural" Protestant religious values on "urban" America |
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What You'll Learn
The negative impact of saloons
Saloons were a prominent feature of 19th-century America, particularly in the Old West, but also in urban areas. They were drinking establishments that served as social hubs, meeting places, and entertainment centres. However, they also had a negative impact on society, which led to their eventual prohibition in the 1920s.
One of the main concerns about saloons was their association with excessive drinking and rowdiness. Saloon culture was often viewed through a "scientific eye", with the behaviour, actions, and appearance of saloon regulars scrutinised for signs of degeneracy. Anti-saloon literature often portrayed saloons as "hotbeds of vice and crime", warning of divine retribution for those who frequented them. While this literature may have been hyperbolic, it highlighted the genuine concerns about the health and societal problems associated with heavy drinking.
Saloons were also breeding grounds for political discussions, business deals, and social interactions. They were frequented by people from all walks of life, including working-class labourers, businessmen, and politicians. This mix of individuals from different social and economic backgrounds could lead to tensions and conflicts. Additionally, the presence of politicians in saloons may have influenced policy decisions and led to concerns about corruption.
Saloons were also associated with other vices, such as gambling and prostitution. In some cases, saloons were little more than casinos, brothels, and opium dens. This further contributed to the perception of saloons as places of moral decay and societal decay. The negative impact of saloons was not limited to the patrons but also extended to the employees, particularly women. While some women may have used saloons as spaces to establish their independence, saloon girls were also objectified and exploited, providing companionship and entertainment for male customers.
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Religious and moral concerns
The temperance movement, which sought to curb alcohol consumption, had strong links to religious groups. The first of these groups, the American Temperance Society (ATS), was formed in 1826 and gained traction after the Civil War due to the proliferation of saloons. In 1873, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded and became the most forceful voice of the temperance movement. The WCTU originally proposed banning alcohol as a way to prevent abuse by alcoholic husbands. The movement spent years building support through education and local and state laws, and in 1881, Kansas included a ban on alcohol in its state constitution.
The Anti-Saloon League, formed in 1893, also played a significant role in the prohibition movement. During World War I, the League promoted anti-German sentiment, which was effective since many brewers were German and often opposed prohibition. This helped increase support for a ban on alcohol. The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in 1919, took away the license to do business from brewers, distillers, vintners, and wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages.
Prohibition leaders believed that removing the license to sell alcohol would give churches and reform organizations an opportunity to persuade Americans to give up drinking. They envisioned a future where, after about thirty years of education and enforcement, the nation would be sober and free from the influence of "the liquor traffic". However, these efforts were largely unsuccessful, as educators lacked support and law enforcers were unable to persuade government officials to take strong action against illegal alcohol suppliers.
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Crime and violence
The Temperance movement of the mid-to-late 19th century popularized the belief that alcohol was the major cause of most personal and social problems, including crime and violence. As such, prohibition was seen as a way to reduce crime and violence in American society.
However, the reality was that the illegal trade in alcohol during the Prohibition era had serious consequences for public health and safety. The trade in illegal alcohol became very lucrative, and the quality of alcohol on the black market declined. On average, 1000 Americans died every year during the Prohibition era from drinking tainted liquor. The high price of bootleg liquor meant that the nation's working class and poor were far more restricted during Prohibition than middle or upper-class Americans.
The sums of money being exchanged during the Prohibition era proved a corrupting influence on law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. Police officers and Prohibition agents were frequently tempted by bribes or the opportunity to go into bootlegging themselves. Bootlegging spawned increased violence in cities like Chicago and New York and made criminals like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano infamous throughout the country. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929, in which several men dressed as policemen shot and killed a group of men in an enemy gang, is one example of the rise in gang violence during the Prohibition era.
The illegal manufacturing and sale of liquor (known as "bootlegging"), the proliferation of speakeasies (illegal drinking spots), and the accompanying rise in gang violence and organized crime led to waning support for Prohibition by the end of the 1920s. Some scholars, however, have attributed the crime during the Prohibition era to increased urbanization rather than to the criminalization of alcohol use. In some cities, such as New York City, crime rates decreased during the Prohibition era. Overall, crime rates declined from 1849 to 1951, making it less likely that the criminalization of alcohol alone led to a decrease in crime during the Prohibition era.
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The emergence of black markets
The Prohibition era in the United States began on 19 January 1920, and almost immediately, a black market for alcohol emerged. The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating beverages, but it did not outlaw the possession or consumption of alcohol. This meant that, despite the ban, demand for alcohol remained high, and criminals were able to supply Americans with what they wanted through bootlegging and the establishment of speakeasies.
Speakeasies were bars or nightclubs that operated illegally, often in the back rooms of seemingly upstanding establishments. They became a popular way for people to access alcohol during Prohibition, and their existence contributed to the emergence of black markets. Word of speakeasies spread through word of mouth, and they often had passwords to ensure that only trusted patrons entered, reducing the risk of police raids. The Cotton Club in New York City was one of the most famous speakeasies of the era, known for its "all-white" dress code and world-class entertainment.
Another way that bootleggers supplied alcohol to the black market was through the diversion of alcohol intended for industrial use. Industries were permitted to use denatured alcohol, mixed with noxious chemicals to make it unfit for human consumption. However, criminals would steal this alcohol, remove the chemicals, dilute it with water, and sometimes add a dash of real liquor for flavour before selling it to speakeasies or individual customers.
In addition, the prescription of medicinal alcohol by doctors and pharmacists provided another avenue for black market alcohol. Pharmacists were allowed to dispense whiskey by prescription for various ailments, and bootleggers took advantage of this loophole by writing counterfeit prescriptions or buying signed prescription forms from corrupt doctors. Over 15,000 doctors and 57,000 pharmacists received licenses to prescribe or sell medicinal alcohol during Prohibition, and it is estimated that physicians wrote 11 million prescriptions per year.
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The impact on the alcohol industry
The impact of Prohibition on the alcohol industry was significant. The Eighteenth Amendment, which came into force at midnight on January 17, 1920, removed the license to do business from brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. This was a major blow to the industry, and many alcohol producers, such as St. Louis, one of the most important alcohol producers before Prohibition, were severely impacted.
However, some alcohol businesses were able to adapt and even expand during Prohibition. Drugstores and pharmacies were allowed to sell alcohol for medicinal purposes, and this became a lucrative business for some, with companies like Walgreens allegedly expanding their operations thanks to these sales. Bootlegging and illegal alcohol production and distribution also became widespread, with criminal gangs controlling local chains of bootlegging operations and supplying alcohol to speakeasies, restaurants, and nightclubs. Some former alcohol businesses may have been able to profit from these illegal activities, either by continuing alcohol production illegally or by supplying the illegal market.
The overall consumption of beverage alcohol declined dramatically in the early years of Prohibition, reaching about thirty per cent of pre-prohibition levels. However, consumption grew again in the latter years as illegal supplies increased and a new generation of Americans rejected the prohibition movement. By the late 1920s, opposition to Prohibition was growing, and it was eventually repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
The impact of Prohibition on the alcohol industry was complex and multifaceted. While it initially dealt a severe blow to legitimate alcohol producers and distributors, the emergence of illegal markets and new forms of alcohol distribution also created new opportunities for some businesses and criminals to profit. The overall consumption of alcohol declined at first but rebounded as Prohibition wore on, and the enforcement of Prohibition became increasingly challenging.
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Frequently asked questions
The prohibition of alcohol in the US, also known as the Eighteenth Amendment, was driven by a variety of factors, including the temperance movement, which sought to prevent alcohol abuse and protect families. Additionally, anti-German sentiment during World War I played a role, as many brewers were German and opposed prohibition.
The prohibition of alcohol led to several unintended consequences, including a decline in the amusement and entertainment industries, the emergence of black markets and organised crime syndicates, and widespread corruption among law enforcement.
By the late 1920s, opposition to prohibition grew due to its negative economic impact, including reduced tax revenues and the decline of the alcoholic beverage industry. Additionally, the policy was criticised for imposing "rural" Protestant values on "urban" America, and it ultimately failed to significantly reduce alcohol consumption.
