Prohibition's Failures
The Roaring Twenties was a time of great change, crime, and reform in America. Many new and different ways and styles of living were introduced. One of the first changes was Prohibition. Prohibition was the 18th amendment preventing the making, selling, buying, and shipping of alcohol and alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933. Most Prohibition supporters thought this ban on alcohol would have economic advances. Once the act was established, sales of clothing and household goods were predicted to raise tremendously. Many real estate experts believed as saloons closed and were turned into homes, neighborhoods would be worth more and rents would rise. Soda, gum, and fruit drink companies expected growth as people would turn
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to their products for help to resist the urge for alcohol. Theater producers thought more people would flood in looking for new ways of entertainment. Instead of any of this happening, most of these declined! Restaurants and diners shut down, because they lost so much profit by not selling alcohol. Theater profits decreased instead of rising, and none of the other economic predictions of growth came. This is because the temperance movement was highly favored among so many of the people of America that it was passed, but millions of Americans were still drinking liquor illegally. This supported and fueled bootlegging(the illegal production and sale of liquor) and speakeasies (illegal, secretive drinking establishments), these
Johnson 2 were abused by organized crime which made its big debut during the Prohibition Era. Prohibition caused a nationwide spread of crime.
People began to smuggle in alcoholic beverages from all over the world. It wasn’t just a big time for bootleggers. Average citizens carried hip flasks and brewed their own alcohol in stills they bought at hardware stores. Meanwhile, many of the law enforcement officers were becoming rich due to bribes. This also caused a spring in ganglands and murders in America. Al Capone owned Chicago, and other gangsters owned other cities. The prohibition era caused so much crime to spread through America. In the 1820s and 1830s, religious revivalism grew in the America, causing calls for temperance and other movements such as the abolition of slavery to increase. In 1838, Massachusetts passed a temperance law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages less than 15 gallons. Although this law was repealed after two years, it set an example for such a legislation to be made in the future. In 1846, Maine ratified the first state prohibition law. After the Civil War many other states followed its example. Soon, temperance societies were a common sight across the United States. Women also fought in the temperance movement. In 1906, new attacks on alcohol began. Led by the Anti-Saloon League and fueled by urban growth, as well as the rise of evangelical Protestantism and its view of salon culture being a crime and unchristian. Many factory owners supported prohibition. They believe it would prevent accidents while also increasing work efficiency in this new era of industrial production and extended work hours. In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson instituted a temporary wartime prohibition. This was to save
Johnson 3 grain for producing food for the soldiers now fighting in World War I. Later that year, Congress submitted the 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol.
Though Congress had stipulated a seven-year time limit for the process, the amendment received the support of the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states in just 11 months. January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified, but didn’t go into effect a year later. By then at least 33 states had already enacted their own prohibition legislation. Finally, in October 1919, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act. This provided guidelines for the federal enforcement of Prohibition. Praised by, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Andrew Volstead of Mississippi, was the reason for the legislature commonly being known as the Volstead Act. Federal and local government struggled to enforce Prohibition over the course of the 1920s. Enforcement was initially assigned to the Internal Revenue Service or IRS. Later it was transferred to the Justice Department. Prohibition was enforced easily enforced in areas where the masses were sympathetic to the legislation. This meant rural areas and small towns. Although Prohibition seemed almost demanded by the public and caused a 30 percent drop in alcohol consumption, they were those who opposed, and they found ways of getting their alcohol. People started illegally crafting alcohol (bootlegging) throughout the decade. They even started their own secret businesses and nightclubs where they sold alcohol (speakeasies). Smuggling alcohol across state lines and countries started to boom among gangsters and criminals. Other people simply stayed home and made moonshine or bathtub join in their bathtubs at home.When the sale of alcohol was first banned in a town in Massachusetts in 1844, a smart tavern owner a tavern
Johnson 4 owner made a plan.
He sold admissions to see a striped pig, all alcoholic beverages came free. From that point on Prohibition ran into troubles. When Maine passed a prohibition law in 1851 the public wasn't happy. Anger and violence came among the city's working class and Irish immigrant population. It later led to a deadly riot in Portland (1855). That led to the repeal of the law. Now, the government wanted to plant Prohibition as a national law. What followed this act was a series of almost disaster’s effects. Prohibition was a major failure in the U.S. It was made to ensure temperance and decrease alcohol abuse. When in reality it exacerbated the problem. After Prohibition more people abused alcohol as illegal than when it was legal. It was also the cause of a major crime increase in the states. Intern, Prohibition was not only a failure, but a possible cause of America’s demise. Luckily, it was repealed. Economically, America started a downhill spiral. Due to decrease sale in alcohol proceeds and decrease in all other products. Even restaurants failed because they didn’t sell alcohol. Which is why Prohibition is one of America's’ biggest failed social experiment.
During these times of Prohibition a monster came to be. Al Capone rose to the head of organized crime by selling bootlegged beer and running speakeasies. During the height of the Prohibition Era he ran a multi-million dollar business of crime. Which is why he is one of the most infamous gangsters of the U.S.
From the beginning of 1920 Capone dominated illegal alcohol trade. He made an estimated $100 million a year from his crime operations. His criminal background got the press breathing down his neck, but his generous and kind nature gained him public
sympathy.
Johnson 5
Finally, in 1931 Capone was tried and charged with tax evasion. He was also charged with failure to file tax returns and breaking Prohibition laws he pled guilty to all three. He believed it would help him strike a deal, the judge refused. So he changed to not guilty and bribed the jury, but the judge changed the jury last minute. Capone had no way out, his bad deeds finally caught up to him. He paid $215,080.48 in tax returns and spent the next eleven years behind bars.
After his release, Capone spent a short time in the hospital. He returned to his home in Palm Island, where the rest of his life was relaxed and quiet. His mind and body continued to deteriorate so that he could no longer run the outfit. On January 21, 1947, he had an apoplectic stroke that was probably unrelated to his syphilis. He regained consciousness and began to improve until pneumonia set in on January 24. He died the next day from cardiac arrest. Capone was first buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago's far South Side between the graves of his father, Gabriele, and brother, Frank, but in March of 1950 the remains of all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery on the far West Side.
Capone wasn’t the first evil to sweep through the nation, something worse came before the Prohibition Era, a force that had been terrorizing Americans for decades had made its return.
Johnson 6
First created in 1866 to resist the Republican Reconstruction policies that wanted black equality, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) made a comeback in the 1920s. Lead by William J. Simmons the Klan took over the South. They led attacks on Catholics, Jews, immigrants of all kinds, and African Americans. The KK became an unstoppable force that took over through the elections of their democratic members. The Protestants had taken control of America. Unfortunately for the KKK a scandal destroyed their empire. David C. Stephenson (first picture), known as Tom among the Klan, was the Grand Dragon, or head Klansmen of a state, of Indiana, the Klan’s rebirth home. His high position got he much fame among the Klan. He became the Klan’s downfall. He kidnapped white school teacher and Klan member Madge Oberholtzer. He was drunk and told Madge he loved her and they were going to get married. Tom and his security guard took turns with Madge while they drove on a train. They stayed a hotel where Madge convinced Tom’s personal driver to take her to the drug store. She bought mercury tablets and ate them, trying to kill herself. She was dropped off at home and died from her injuries and the mercury. Tom was tried and convicted of her murder, kidnapping, and rape. After that millions of Klansmen left the Klan and denounced its vows. So came an end to the Klan. The Roaring 20s wasn’t all crime, it was also change. The Jazz Era came into effect and brought diversity to America. African American Musicians like Louis Armstrong (second picture) brought support for African American civil rights. Not only did the Jazz Era help but the Harlem Renaissance also began and African American poets finally got recognition. Their voices were finally heard. African Americans began playing at white night clubs and performing for all races. One of the most popular artist of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. He was one of the first people to start performing Jazz Poems. He was a major cause of the social reform and civil rights fights in the 1920s. Him and other musicians and artists helped develop the United States into the racially equal country it is today. In conclusion, the 1920s were full of crime and murder. It was a time of parting and no rules applied to those who could get away with it. Luckily, it came out good in the end with the Jazz Era and Harlem Renaissance. Therefore, the 1920s were important to the U.S. because it brought races closer and helped bring much needed reform. Which is why the 1920s were one important part of American history!
to their products for help to resist the urge for alcohol. Theater producers thought more people would flood in looking for new ways of entertainment. Instead of any of this happening, most of these declined! Restaurants and diners shut down, because they lost so much profit by not selling alcohol. Theater profits decreased instead of rising, and none of the other economic predictions of growth came. This is because the temperance movement was highly favored among so many of the people of America that it was passed, but millions of Americans were still drinking liquor illegally. This supported and fueled bootlegging(the illegal production and sale of liquor) and speakeasies (illegal, secretive drinking establishments), these
Johnson 2 were abused by organized crime which made its big debut during the Prohibition Era. Prohibition caused a nationwide spread of crime.
People began to smuggle in alcoholic beverages from all over the world. It wasn’t just a big time for bootleggers. Average citizens carried hip flasks and brewed their own alcohol in stills they bought at hardware stores. Meanwhile, many of the law enforcement officers were becoming rich due to bribes. This also caused a spring in ganglands and murders in America. Al Capone owned Chicago, and other gangsters owned other cities. The prohibition era caused so much crime to spread through America. In the 1820s and 1830s, religious revivalism grew in the America, causing calls for temperance and other movements such as the abolition of slavery to increase. In 1838, Massachusetts passed a temperance law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages less than 15 gallons. Although this law was repealed after two years, it set an example for such a legislation to be made in the future. In 1846, Maine ratified the first state prohibition law. After the Civil War many other states followed its example. Soon, temperance societies were a common sight across the United States. Women also fought in the temperance movement. In 1906, new attacks on alcohol began. Led by the Anti-Saloon League and fueled by urban growth, as well as the rise of evangelical Protestantism and its view of salon culture being a crime and unchristian. Many factory owners supported prohibition. They believe it would prevent accidents while also increasing work efficiency in this new era of industrial production and extended work hours. In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson instituted a temporary wartime prohibition. This was to save
Johnson 3 grain for producing food for the soldiers now fighting in World War I. Later that year, Congress submitted the 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol.
Though Congress had stipulated a seven-year time limit for the process, the amendment received the support of the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states in just 11 months. January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified, but didn’t go into effect a year later. By then at least 33 states had already enacted their own prohibition legislation. Finally, in October 1919, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act. This provided guidelines for the federal enforcement of Prohibition. Praised by, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Andrew Volstead of Mississippi, was the reason for the legislature commonly being known as the Volstead Act. Federal and local government struggled to enforce Prohibition over the course of the 1920s. Enforcement was initially assigned to the Internal Revenue Service or IRS. Later it was transferred to the Justice Department. Prohibition was enforced easily enforced in areas where the masses were sympathetic to the legislation. This meant rural areas and small towns. Although Prohibition seemed almost demanded by the public and caused a 30 percent drop in alcohol consumption, they were those who opposed, and they found ways of getting their alcohol. People started illegally crafting alcohol (bootlegging) throughout the decade. They even started their own secret businesses and nightclubs where they sold alcohol (speakeasies). Smuggling alcohol across state lines and countries started to boom among gangsters and criminals. Other people simply stayed home and made moonshine or bathtub join in their bathtubs at home.When the sale of alcohol was first banned in a town in Massachusetts in 1844, a smart tavern owner a tavern
Johnson 4 owner made a plan.
He sold admissions to see a striped pig, all alcoholic beverages came free. From that point on Prohibition ran into troubles. When Maine passed a prohibition law in 1851 the public wasn't happy. Anger and violence came among the city's working class and Irish immigrant population. It later led to a deadly riot in Portland (1855). That led to the repeal of the law. Now, the government wanted to plant Prohibition as a national law. What followed this act was a series of almost disaster’s effects. Prohibition was a major failure in the U.S. It was made to ensure temperance and decrease alcohol abuse. When in reality it exacerbated the problem. After Prohibition more people abused alcohol as illegal than when it was legal. It was also the cause of a major crime increase in the states. Intern, Prohibition was not only a failure, but a possible cause of America’s demise. Luckily, it was repealed. Economically, America started a downhill spiral. Due to decrease sale in alcohol proceeds and decrease in all other products. Even restaurants failed because they didn’t sell alcohol. Which is why Prohibition is one of America's’ biggest failed social experiment.
During these times of Prohibition a monster came to be. Al Capone rose to the head of organized crime by selling bootlegged beer and running speakeasies. During the height of the Prohibition Era he ran a multi-million dollar business of crime. Which is why he is one of the most infamous gangsters of the U.S.
From the beginning of 1920 Capone dominated illegal alcohol trade. He made an estimated $100 million a year from his crime operations. His criminal background got the press breathing down his neck, but his generous and kind nature gained him public
sympathy.
Johnson 5
Finally, in 1931 Capone was tried and charged with tax evasion. He was also charged with failure to file tax returns and breaking Prohibition laws he pled guilty to all three. He believed it would help him strike a deal, the judge refused. So he changed to not guilty and bribed the jury, but the judge changed the jury last minute. Capone had no way out, his bad deeds finally caught up to him. He paid $215,080.48 in tax returns and spent the next eleven years behind bars.
After his release, Capone spent a short time in the hospital. He returned to his home in Palm Island, where the rest of his life was relaxed and quiet. His mind and body continued to deteriorate so that he could no longer run the outfit. On January 21, 1947, he had an apoplectic stroke that was probably unrelated to his syphilis. He regained consciousness and began to improve until pneumonia set in on January 24. He died the next day from cardiac arrest. Capone was first buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago's far South Side between the graves of his father, Gabriele, and brother, Frank, but in March of 1950 the remains of all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery on the far West Side.
Capone wasn’t the first evil to sweep through the nation, something worse came before the Prohibition Era, a force that had been terrorizing Americans for decades had made its return.
Johnson 6
First created in 1866 to resist the Republican Reconstruction policies that wanted black equality, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) made a comeback in the 1920s. Lead by William J. Simmons the Klan took over the South. They led attacks on Catholics, Jews, immigrants of all kinds, and African Americans. The KK became an unstoppable force that took over through the elections of their democratic members. The Protestants had taken control of America. Unfortunately for the KKK a scandal destroyed their empire. David C. Stephenson (first picture), known as Tom among the Klan, was the Grand Dragon, or head Klansmen of a state, of Indiana, the Klan’s rebirth home. His high position got he much fame among the Klan. He became the Klan’s downfall. He kidnapped white school teacher and Klan member Madge Oberholtzer. He was drunk and told Madge he loved her and they were going to get married. Tom and his security guard took turns with Madge while they drove on a train. They stayed a hotel where Madge convinced Tom’s personal driver to take her to the drug store. She bought mercury tablets and ate them, trying to kill herself. She was dropped off at home and died from her injuries and the mercury. Tom was tried and convicted of her murder, kidnapping, and rape. After that millions of Klansmen left the Klan and denounced its vows. So came an end to the Klan. The Roaring 20s wasn’t all crime, it was also change. The Jazz Era came into effect and brought diversity to America. African American Musicians like Louis Armstrong (second picture) brought support for African American civil rights. Not only did the Jazz Era help but the Harlem Renaissance also began and African American poets finally got recognition. Their voices were finally heard. African Americans began playing at white night clubs and performing for all races. One of the most popular artist of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. He was one of the first people to start performing Jazz Poems. He was a major cause of the social reform and civil rights fights in the 1920s. Him and other musicians and artists helped develop the United States into the racially equal country it is today. In conclusion, the 1920s were full of crime and murder. It was a time of parting and no rules applied to those who could get away with it. Luckily, it came out good in the end with the Jazz Era and Harlem Renaissance. Therefore, the 1920s were important to the U.S. because it brought races closer and helped bring much needed reform. Which is why the 1920s were one important part of American history!