Prohibition and Crime
Essential Question: Would you consider the government’s passage of the 18th Amendment an over-reaction to the problem of alcohol? How do the actions of gangsters/bootleggers support the position that the government and temperance leaders had gone too far.
The passage of the Eighteenth Amendment was a huge overreaction by the U.S. government to a problem that probably wasn't there.
Cause and Effect: Ever since the beginning of America, alcohol consumption was on the rise. Throughout all of our nation's history there has been organizations fighting for the abolition of alcohol. There was the Anti-Saloon League, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and other women's rights organizations like NAWSA. For years they had been fighting for Temperance, first on grounds of personal temperance, then in government battles. It really picked up when legislation was passed restricting the consumption of alcohol during the first World War (turning point). The effect of all of this was finally seen in 1919 with the passage of the Volstead Act and the Eighteenth Amendment. This was most likely an overreaction by the U.S. government and success of a handful of legislators and lobbyists vying for this Amendment for years. The cause of this Amendment also had an effect on society, that further proves why the passage was an overreaction. Immediately after the Volstead Act was passed, looting broke out all over the country. People were scrambling to get there hands on alcohol. As the twenties went on the organized crime grew larger, and the public even supported it, as it got them their liquor. The system was so backwards, it proved the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment was an overreaction.
Change and Continuity: As we know now the Twenty-First Amendment was passed, repealing the Eighteenth. One of the planks of the Democratic Party's platform in 1932 was in fact ending prohibition. Since the 1920s alcohol consumption in the U.S. has been legal. In a time period of thirty years, alcohol was made legal in all states. By the 1960s not one state had laws restricting alcohol. These are all things that have changed, however, there are still aspects of Prohibition that have stayed the same. For one, there are still local governments that prohibit alcohol. Many counties in the Southeastern part of the United States, "dry counties," prohibit the buying, selling, and manufacturing of alcohol. This has led to many illegal bootlegging operations in this area of the U.S., though they are not as big as those of the 1920s. ABC agents, or Alcohol and Beverage Consumption agents crack down on illegal alcohol trafficking in dry counties much like those of the 1920s.
Cause and Effect: Ever since the beginning of America, alcohol consumption was on the rise. Throughout all of our nation's history there has been organizations fighting for the abolition of alcohol. There was the Anti-Saloon League, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and other women's rights organizations like NAWSA. For years they had been fighting for Temperance, first on grounds of personal temperance, then in government battles. It really picked up when legislation was passed restricting the consumption of alcohol during the first World War (turning point). The effect of all of this was finally seen in 1919 with the passage of the Volstead Act and the Eighteenth Amendment. This was most likely an overreaction by the U.S. government and success of a handful of legislators and lobbyists vying for this Amendment for years. The cause of this Amendment also had an effect on society, that further proves why the passage was an overreaction. Immediately after the Volstead Act was passed, looting broke out all over the country. People were scrambling to get there hands on alcohol. As the twenties went on the organized crime grew larger, and the public even supported it, as it got them their liquor. The system was so backwards, it proved the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment was an overreaction.
Change and Continuity: As we know now the Twenty-First Amendment was passed, repealing the Eighteenth. One of the planks of the Democratic Party's platform in 1932 was in fact ending prohibition. Since the 1920s alcohol consumption in the U.S. has been legal. In a time period of thirty years, alcohol was made legal in all states. By the 1960s not one state had laws restricting alcohol. These are all things that have changed, however, there are still aspects of Prohibition that have stayed the same. For one, there are still local governments that prohibit alcohol. Many counties in the Southeastern part of the United States, "dry counties," prohibit the buying, selling, and manufacturing of alcohol. This has led to many illegal bootlegging operations in this area of the U.S., though they are not as big as those of the 1920s. ABC agents, or Alcohol and Beverage Consumption agents crack down on illegal alcohol trafficking in dry counties much like those of the 1920s.
How effective was the 18th Amendment?
The Eighteenth Amendment set up the beginning of Prohibition. It outlawed the manufacturing, selling, and transporting of any alcoholic beverages. To enforce the Eighteenth Amendment, Congress passed the Volstead Act. This piece of legislation gave authorities the power to convinct those in violation of Prohibition. In the short term the Eighteenth Amendment seemed like a good idea, but it was overall a complete failure. First of all, looking through the eyes of the people of the time, Prohibition was doomed from the start. World War I had just ended, and it was the dawn of a new era. The "Lost Generation" was happy to relax a bit, and let loose. This all led up to one of the wildest decades in American history, yet it was also the only decade in which alcohol was nationally prohibitied. To outlaw alcohol at the beginning of an era in which the American people were ready to celebrate and party was the first mistake. Furthermore, enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment was bad at best. Federal Prohibition Agents (a.k.a. the police) were underpaid, and unhappy with their jobs. Crime and bribery was rampant. Prohibition led to the rise of famous gangsters such as Al Capone, who made their fortunes off illegal bootlegging. These bootleggers would pay to have illegal rum, run from the Carribbean, or hijack Canadian ships carrying whiskey on the Great Lakes, and distribute the alcohol in large cities to speakeasies and private use. Often these mobsters were untouchable, as they would simply bribe policemen, or pay for expensive lawyers with their large fortunes to get them away clean. Lastly, people found loopholes in the system to get around the Eighteenth Amendment. First off, since it did not say anything about the legality or consuming alcohol, many people bought large caches of it before the Amendment went into effect, so they could legally drink during Prohibition. Also, it was legal to consume alcohol for medicinal purposes, therefore doctors often prescribed it without scrutiny to numbers of patients, making it easier to get hands on alcohol. Lastly, speakeasies opened, which provided underground safe havens for people wanting to socialize while consuming alcohol. At the height of Prohibition there was a speakeasy on almost every corner, making it nearly impossible for the government to crack down on violations of the Eighteenth Amendment.
How did the government deal with violations of the Volstead
Act?
All in all, the government, to a point, didn't deal with violations of the Volstead Act. That is, they didn't deal with them well. Within the first hours of the Volstead Act being passed their were raids, and lootings all over the country. Often police encounters entailed violence, by the end of the 1920s some 1,200 people were said to have been killed by officers due to Prohibition. In an attempt to curb this police actions were scaled back, making violations even more rampant. On a larger scale, bootlegging operations run by national scale mobsters such as Charles Luciano, Dutch Schulz, Frank Costello, and Al Capone were nearly untouchable. Everyone from the policemen, right up to city mayors were bribed, and nobody in the government could be trusted.
Why do the 1920s have such a big reputation for
gangsters and crime? Is it deserved?
gangsters and crime? Is it deserved?
The 1920s were the age that really set the stage for organized crime. Most of it stemmed from the business of illegal bootlegging. Mobster Al Capone was the most prominent figure. He carried a force of nearly 1,000 men, and bribed countless more government officials to remain free. Other gangsters include Machine Gun Kelly, John Torrio (Capone's mentor), Dion O'Banion, and others. Many of these men were accepted, even acclaimed by the public due to the feeling of anarchy at the time, as well as the thankfulness people had for the supplying of liquor these men participated in. This reputation for crime was well deserved. It was a bold move by the government to prohibit alcohol during the 1920s; one that backfired bigtime, and probably should have not occurred in the first place. It was inevitable the public would protest the actions in some form, and that form was massive crime. Connecting these past events to today we see a very similar pattern occuring. The outlawing of illegal drugs has led to a massive underground empire of drug production, trafficking, and consumption. Similarities include the rise of major drug trafficking bosses, and massive gangs: just like those of the 1920s. While these similarities hold true, the gangs of this era are not as widely accepted of those of the 20s were. Also, it is very justified that the drugs being illegally distributed today are outlawed, while alcohol of the 20s probably wasn't as justified.
APPARTS: Wisconsin is Going Dry! source: Wisconsin Historical Society
A- The author of this document was specifically unknown but was most likely a local Wisconsin government.
P- During the onset of prohibition, right before the ratification convention of the 18th Amendment.
P- I do know Wisconsin is known for a thick German heritage, and a history in alcohol, specifically beer. Also, there were many taverns throughout the Wisconsin countryside. The banning of alcohol was probably a huge deal in our state, more so than others.
A- The audience here is virtually the the general public of Wisconsin. Everyone walking down the street would have probably seen this flyer.
R- This was a flyer meant to get in every bar and streetcorner to provoke thoughts in the public's mind about the possibility of Prohibition.
T- The author is trying to convey to the people going dry is a good thing. Already much of Wisconsin will be dry, so ratifying the 18th Amendment will be a good idea.
S- This source is important because it shows the impact of Temperance ideas in our own state. It proves the power of Temperance at the time, because if a state with such a rich history in alcohol was going dry, support from the rest of the country must have been high as well.
P- During the onset of prohibition, right before the ratification convention of the 18th Amendment.
P- I do know Wisconsin is known for a thick German heritage, and a history in alcohol, specifically beer. Also, there were many taverns throughout the Wisconsin countryside. The banning of alcohol was probably a huge deal in our state, more so than others.
A- The audience here is virtually the the general public of Wisconsin. Everyone walking down the street would have probably seen this flyer.
R- This was a flyer meant to get in every bar and streetcorner to provoke thoughts in the public's mind about the possibility of Prohibition.
T- The author is trying to convey to the people going dry is a good thing. Already much of Wisconsin will be dry, so ratifying the 18th Amendment will be a good idea.
S- This source is important because it shows the impact of Temperance ideas in our own state. It proves the power of Temperance at the time, because if a state with such a rich history in alcohol was going dry, support from the rest of the country must have been high as well.
Vocabulary
Speakeasy- (during prohibition) an illicit liquor store or night club
Bootlegger- someone who makes or sells illegal liquor
Bootlegger- someone who makes or sells illegal liquor