The 18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment , considered to be one of the biggest follies of the
nation, was brought about with the intent to sincerely help the U.S., but more
harm came from it than good. Prohibition, also known as the 18th Amendment ,
was ratified on January 29th, 1920 and was repealed on December 5th, 1933
with the ratification of the 21st Amendment which nullified prohibition.The 18th
Amendment stated that it was illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell alcoholic
beverages in the United States. It was said that the national prohibition of alcohol
was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce
the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and
hygiene in America. This was a very good idea, but America went about it the
wrong way.
We, instead, created even more problems such as organized crime,
increased alcohol consumption, over crowded prison systems, and the up rise
of the Mafia. Not only was this a step in the wrong direction, it was an action
that increased the problems that the United States was already facing. People
believed that prohibition would fail and that it was a violation of a person's
privacy while other people thought that prohibition would do nothing but improve
the country. People who were against prohibition were called wets and people for
it were called drys. Wets mainly consisted of democrats who refused to stop
drinking and who were usually older men or immigrants who drank all their life.
The drys were usually republican Protestants who believed alcohol was evil and
that prohibition was the answer to societies problems. Well, the drys appeared
to be wrong because many problems surfaced as prohibition seemed to do
more harm than good. .
One problem was the increase of alcohol consumption. Alcohol
consumption did go down at the beginning of prohibition, but subsequently went
back up. Alcohol
nation, was brought about with the intent to sincerely help the U.S., but more
harm came from it than good. Prohibition, also known as the 18th Amendment ,
was ratified on January 29th, 1920 and was repealed on December 5th, 1933
with the ratification of the 21st Amendment which nullified prohibition.The 18th
Amendment stated that it was illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell alcoholic
beverages in the United States. It was said that the national prohibition of alcohol
was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce
the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and
hygiene in America. This was a very good idea, but America went about it the
wrong way.
We, instead, created even more problems such as organized crime,
increased alcohol consumption, over crowded prison systems, and the up rise
of the Mafia. Not only was this a step in the wrong direction, it was an action
that increased the problems that the United States was already facing. People
believed that prohibition would fail and that it was a violation of a person's
privacy while other people thought that prohibition would do nothing but improve
the country. People who were against prohibition were called wets and people for
it were called drys. Wets mainly consisted of democrats who refused to stop
drinking and who were usually older men or immigrants who drank all their life.
The drys were usually republican Protestants who believed alcohol was evil and
that prohibition was the answer to societies problems. Well, the drys appeared
to be wrong because many problems surfaced as prohibition seemed to do
more harm than good. .
One problem was the increase of alcohol consumption. Alcohol
consumption did go down at the beginning of prohibition, but subsequently went
back up. Alcohol