Prohibition in the 20's
America's Alcohol Ban
Why was Prohibition enforced?
- Religious revivalism swept the U.S. in the 20's, initiating calls for perfectionism.
- Many women of the time period also called for temperance, as alcohol was seen as a destructive force in families and marriages.
- Factories wanted to ban alcohol in order to prevent accidents and increase the efficiency of their workers.
Crucial info
- Prohibition was put into effect on January 29th, 1919.
- Introduced to congress in 1917 as the 18th amendment, and passed in 11 months.
- By the time prohibition became national law, 33 states had already passed some form of prohibition.
Problems caused by prohibiton
- Al Capone, a powerful gangster, made a lot of money off of 'speakeasies' in larger cities.
- Speakeasies were secret bars, which were common in larger cities, where prohibition was much more loosely enforced.
- Prohibition was much more strictly enforced in small towns, making it difficult to set up speakeasies there.
- Crime skyrocketed as people were being arrested for participation in speakeasies, or bootlegging of alcohol, by creating it in their own homes, or smuggling it.
Credit
- "Prohibition." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 08 Jan. 2016.
- Alchin, Linda. "Prohibition Era." Prohibition Facts: US History for Kids. Siteseen Ltd., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.