Essay 3 The Prohibition

Backlash of the Prohibition

            On January 16, 1920, the United States said no alcoholic beverages were to be sold or purchased in breweries, distilleries, or saloons, and these businesses were forced to close their doors (Mintz). Drinking was a source of corruption, and an excuse for domestic violence (Mintz). Prohibition was the solution to these and other problems in America (Weiser). Many believed only beneficial outcomes would be generated from the elimination of beer from the public (Mintz). Though developed to end the consumption and negative effects of alcohol, the 1920’s prohibition created the illegal trafficing of alcoholic beverages, an ineffective government, and increased death rates.

            When the public demanded alcohol, many began finding covert ways of getting what they wanted: liquor (Levine, and Reinarmen). Organized crime grew and dominated 1920’s American society (Hoyt). Gangs of alcohol traffickers were common and gained control of the public because they could supply the public with liquor (Hoyt). As the illegal activities expanded, buildings were created to hide the alcohol consumption (hoyt). Thirty thousand speakeasies sprung up across the country while legal bars numbered around half that amount (Hoyt). Since the production was also prohibited, approximately one hundred thousand people brewed alcohol in bathtubs and handcrafted stills (Hoyt). And because the breweries were shutdown, many fashioned liquor in their homes, right underneath the detection of the authorities (Mintz). Since the alcoholic content of beer was lower than whiskey or gin, more had to be provided to speakeasies (Thornton). But Prohibition made it very difficult to transport the bulky, weaker alcohols, and stronger drinks became the choice for many Americans (Thornton). The vast amounts of smuggling and covert breweries were the United State’s worst kept secret, and when gangsters provided a business with alcoholic beverages, many authorities looked the other way (Weiser) Famous gangster Al Capone trafficked liquor frequently and made this comment on the inconsistencies between American beliefs and the law, “When I sell liquor, it’s bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on a silver tray on Lakeshore Drive, it’s hospitality” (Weiser).

Prohibition had a goal to decrease death rate and alcohol-related illness; however, it had negative effects on the health of the nation (Hoyt). Deaths caused by cirrhosis dropped significantly in the 1920’s (Hoyt). Alcoholism related fatalities decreased by eighty percent, but seven years after the ban of alcohol, total deaths from handmade liquor climbed to fifty thousand (Mintz). There were more cases of blindness, paralysis and other illnesses caused by dangerously created alcohol (Mintz). Despite what the Prohibition intended, more alcoholics and speakeasies existed by the end of the 1920’s than there were before the law was created (Hoyt). Another unintended danger fostered by the Prohibition was the introduction of harsh drugs like narcotics (Weiser). Aside from the increase in death from the liquor, homicide rates went up due to gang wars in cities (Mintz). The Prohibition also unintentionally allowed the American public to foster negativity towards the government and law enforcement (Mintz).

The credibility of the American government suffered during the 1920’s because of its lax behavior towards the public’s illegal actions (Hoyt). The closing of saloons destroyed the brewing industry and many job opportunities, which lost the government tax revenues and damaged the economy (Hoyt). During this time, political corruption skyrocketed (Hoyt). Polititians were funded by those profiting from illegal trafficking and so passed twisted government rulings (Hoyt) According to well-known tycoon John D. Rockefeller, “Drinking has generally increased, the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has been recruited and financed on a colossal scale” (Hoyt). Crime increased in the twenties because of the lack of funding for local and federal authorities (“Finding Dulcinea”). The money that should have been given the officers went to gangsters and politicians, making it difficult to enforce laws (“Finding Dulcinea”). Implement of 1920s' Prohibition would have been a daunting enterprise, even with proper funding (Henderson). Bootleggers were plentiful, where one was stopped, three more would appear (Henderson). Prohibition did not succeed in creating an alcohol-free America (Henderson).

During the 1930’s, those originally for the elimination of alcohol in the U.S. altered their opinions, and wanted the Prohibition lifted (Hoyt). The negative effects of the ban were far-reaching and convinced Americans that the problems alcohol induced were nothing compared to the issues that arose from it’s illegality (Hoyt). While the act did inhibit the consumption of beer effectively, it increased the drinking of hard liquor (Levine, and Reinarmen).When Prohibition was abolished, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “What America needs now is a drink”(Burkhart). His wit indicated the futility of banning alcohol, drinking was so embedded in American culture, that it could not be eradicated so easily (Burkhart).

Works Cited

Burkhart, Jeff. "Prohibition Fast Facts." Prohibition Repeal. Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.prohibitionrepeal.com/history/fastfacts.asp

Henderson, Paula. "1920s' PROHIBITION ." Vintage Periods. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.vintageperiods.com/prohibition.php>.

Hoyt, Alia. "How Prohibition Worked ." How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/prohibition4.htm>.

Levine, Harry, and Craig Reinarmen. "Drugtext." From Prohibition to Regulation. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.drugtext.org/library/articles/craig102.htm>

Mintz, s. "Digital History." The Jazz Age: The 1920's. N.p., 27Oct 2010. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/copyright.cfm>.

Thornton, Mark. "Cato Institute." Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure. N.p., 17 July 1991. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1017>.

Weiser, Kathy. "Speakeasies of the Prohibition Era." Legends of America. N.p., March 2010. Web. 27 Oct 2010. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-prohibitionspeakeasy2.html>.