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Prohibition in the USA

Origins of Prohibition

The prohibition movement in the United States began in the 1800's and by 1850 several states had passed laws that restricted or banned people from drinking alcohol.  By the end of the 19th Century, two powerful pressure groups the 'Anti - Saloon League' and 'Women's Temperance Union' had been set up.  The main arguments for the banning of alcohol are summarised in Source A:

These pressure groups had the support of rich and powerful men like Henry Ford who gave them money to put adverts in magazines and pamphlets to attack bars and saloons.  At election times these groups would ask politicians to state whether they were 'dry' (against alcohol) or 'wet' (drank alcohol).  The Anti - Saloon League, had a lot of support, particularly amongst women voters, so if a politician was 'dry' they could expect a lot of extra votes.  By the time the USA went to war in 1917, eighteen states had already banned alcohol.

(Temperance = not drinking alcohol) alcohol.

The First World War helped the Anti-Saloon League to win its fight to make the USA 'dry' and ban alcohol.  Many American brewers were German immigrants, so the League claimed that people who drank beer were traitors to their country.  Congress agreed with this view and in 1918 amended, or changed, the Constitution to prohibit (stop) Americans from making, selling or moving alcoholic drinks.  It was now illegal to have or drink.

Key Points:

Pressure groups for prohibition supported politicians who were 'dry'

By 1917 eighteen states had gone 'dry'.

The League claimed that people who drank beer were traitors.

In 1918, Congress changed the Constitution and made it illegal to drink.

Prohibition Comes In

In January 1920, the Prohibition movement finally persuaded Congress to pass a law banning the sale of alcohol.  In order to make their changes legal, Congress had to change the Constitution of the USA.  The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution stated that 'the manufacture, sale or transport of intoxicating liquors within ... the United States ... is hereby prohibited'.  A separate law called the Volstead Act defined 'intoxicating liquor' as any liquid containing more than half a percent of alcohol.  Most middle class Americans were reasonably pleased that these laws had been passed as Source F shows below:

However, these laws did not stop people from drinking.  Secret saloon bars called ‘speakeasies’ opened up in cellars and back rooms.  Drinkers had to use special passwords or a special knock at the door to be let in.  These speakeasies sold 'bootleg' alcohol.  Smugglers, called 'bootleggers', smuggled it into America from abroad in the boots of their cars.  They also sold 'moonshine', a spirit made secretly in-home made stills.  Drinkers could also buy 'near-beer', an alcohol-free beer allowed by the Volstead Act.  Others brewed their own drink.  This became a family pastime. 

In 1929, the government estimated that 700 million gallons of home-brewed beer were produced in the USA.  This is backed up by the fact that government agents seized 35, 200 illegal stills in 1928. By 1933 there were 200,000 speakeasies in America. In New York alone there were 32,000 speakeasies, whereas before prohibition there had been only 15,000 saloons.  With this massive increase in the amount of alcohol being drank, drink related crimes also went up.

Text by Mr Huggins.

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