Prohibition And Social Reform
As Prohibition commenced in 1920, progressives envisioned an age of moral and social reform. As early as 1916, some 26 out of 48 states were already dry, and once the United States entered the first world war, Prohibition became identified with patriotism. This was the peak of progressive reform: to a generation of Protestant reformers, using the power of the state to regulate the anarchy of the industrial city and improve the lot of ordinary workers seemed only natural and reasonable. By December 1917, both houses of Congress had approved a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol. In January 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment had been ratified by 36 states, and that October, the National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) gave the federal authorities
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In actuality, in 1921 the total number of crimes increased by about 24%. Along with that, burglaries increased by 9%, homicides by 12%, assaults and battery by 13%, and drug addiction by about 44%. It was believed that the dangerous black market, dictated by organized crime, was the cause of this, which ultimately led to worse social conditions in general. But the most important result of prohibition was that it made ordinary people into criminals. Most people liked a drink from time to time and this made the police very reluctant to enforce the law. Officers also became more open to bribes from otherwise law-abiding citizens. Worse still, the supply of illegal alcohol fell into the hands of gangsters, who then bribed the police and justice system to allow them to carry on their business. Stronger liquor surged in popularity because its potency made it more profitable to smuggle. The most common way of getting hold of illicit drink was by bootlegging, which was smuggling alcohol into the USA from Canada, Mexico or the West Indies, or attending a speakeasy (which were typically controlled by gangsters). In response and to prevent bootleggers from using industrial ethyl alcohol to produce illegal beverages, the federal government ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols. As many as 10,000 people died from drinking denatured alcohol before Prohibition ended. Despite the Prohibition movement's hope that outlawing alcohol would reduce crime, the reality was that the Volstead Act led to higher crime rates than were experienced prior to Prohibition and the establishment of a black market dominated by criminal
In actuality, in 1921 the total number of crimes increased by about 24%. Along with that, burglaries increased by 9%, homicides by 12%, assaults and battery by 13%, and drug addiction by about 44%. It was believed that the dangerous black market, dictated by organized crime, was the cause of this, which ultimately led to worse social conditions in general. But the most important result of prohibition was that it made ordinary people into criminals. Most people liked a drink from time to time and this made the police very reluctant to enforce the law. Officers also became more open to bribes from otherwise law-abiding citizens. Worse still, the supply of illegal alcohol fell into the hands of gangsters, who then bribed the police and justice system to allow them to carry on their business. Stronger liquor surged in popularity because its potency made it more profitable to smuggle. The most common way of getting hold of illicit drink was by bootlegging, which was smuggling alcohol into the USA from Canada, Mexico or the West Indies, or attending a speakeasy (which were typically controlled by gangsters). In response and to prevent bootleggers from using industrial ethyl alcohol to produce illegal beverages, the federal government ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols. As many as 10,000 people died from drinking denatured alcohol before Prohibition ended. Despite the Prohibition movement's hope that outlawing alcohol would reduce crime, the reality was that the Volstead Act led to higher crime rates than were experienced prior to Prohibition and the establishment of a black market dominated by criminal