Prohibition

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Prohibition

Causes

  • They blamed alcohol for breaking up families, causing unemployment, ill health and suffering for women and children. The Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union supported Prohibition
  • Brewing in the USA was traditionally run by Germany immigrants. Campaigners claimed that it would be patriotic to close down their industry.
  • By 1919, 13 states had already banned alcohol
  • Many small towns and women's organisations campaigned against alcohol. Politicians agreed with them to get their votes.
  • It banned the production, transporting and sale of alcoholic liquor. It did not, however, ban its consumption as this would have infringed the Constitution.

Effects

  • Bootlegging was smuggling alcohol into the USA from Canada or the West Indies. An enormous amount of alcohol was smuggled into the USA from Canada. Some of it by people who simply rowed across to fetch it.
  • Led to a big increase in organised crime, just at the time when many Italian immigrants were arriving, having been driven out of Sicily by Mussolini. It led to a huge increase in prostitution, drugs and gambling.
  • Gangsters fought to control the business and it encouraged an atmosphere of lawlessness and disrespect for the law. There were 200 gang murders in Chicago between 1927 and 1931.
  • Speakeasies were illegal bars, which sold alcohol behind closed doors.
  • The gangsters stepped in to supply and demand. They made a fortune. Al Capone made £100,000 a year.

Overall summary

This led to the abolition of prohibition.Due to:-It was clearly not working. Some states repealed their own legislation, which meant that the local police would take no action.-The Depression meant there was less money to catch smugglers, and there were other more important priorities. -Moonshine or hooch was illegally made with alcohol but was lethal.-Prohibition made ordinary people into criminals. Police were reluctant to enforce the law and were open to bribes. In Chicago the mayor was known to be an associate of the gangsters.-Roosevelt, who became president in 1933, personally disapproved of prohibition. 

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