Prohibition

Prohibition, enacted by the Eighteenth Amendment, is an important part of history. It was one of the most fascinating moments in history. There were many people on both sides of this battle. However, the up roaring against this amendment is something that had never been seen before. This was one of the biggest political controversies of all time. It was also a big social problem. Prohibition was a huge controversy, affected the crime rates, and relates to modern problems today. There have not been many Constitutional Amendments that divided the country like the Eighteenth Amendment. The Eighteenth Amendment was passed in 1919. This outlawed the selling and producing of alcohol across the country (“Eighteenth Amendment”). This Amendment split the country into two sides: the Wets and the Drys. The Wets wanted to end the ban of alcohol. Many immigrants, coming from areas around the world where people consumed alcohol on a regular bases, found this ban very difficult and joined the Wets. Even though it was a crime, the Wets, continued to consume alcohol. Many bootleggers, people who illegally produced alcohol, did not know how to properly manufacture alcohol, therefore; “their incompetence put drinkers at risk of consuming unsafe concentrations of wood, or denatured, alcohol” (“Prohibition”). The Wets created many drinking establishments all over the country called speakeasies or blind pigs. Knowing the secret password was the only way to get into these clubs. These establishments obtained alcohol supplies from rumrunners, who got liquor form either over seas or Canada. The U.S. Government did little and was ineffective stopping this from happening (“Prohibition”). On the other side of the divided country was the Drys. These people supported the Eighteenth Amendment (“Prohibition”). Sclerosis caused many people to join the Drys. This was a disease caused by the over consumption. This disease affected mostly males and usually ended with a long-suffering death.