Prohibition & Crime
KElli Rutkowski
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 and bootleggers support the position that the government and temperance leaders had gone too far?
- I understand that temperance leaders and politicians eventually passed the 18th amendment because of the excessive amount of drinking, the link between alcohol and domestic violence, and because of issues with public drunkenness. They were correct to address these issues, but they did not do it in the right way. Prohibiting alcohol completely was not a move that our country could handle at that time period; it was too much of normality in life. They could have easily just started with stricter drinking ages, alcohol limits, and stricter actions when it came to abuse or public drunkenness. The reason actions from gangsters and bootleggers came around so fast was because the public could not handle the immediate loss of such a staple. The gangsters and bootleggers knew that they could easily make profits off of this, and so the illegal activity began. If the government had not made such a dramatic step then the excess of crime may not have happened.
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 and bootleggers support the position that the government and temperance leaders had gone too far?
- I understand that temperance leaders and politicians eventually passed the 18th amendment because of the excessive amount of drinking, the link between alcohol and domestic violence, and because of issues with public drunkenness. They were correct to address these issues, but they did not do it in the right way. Prohibiting alcohol completely was not a move that our country could handle at that time period; it was too much of normality in life. They could have easily just started with stricter drinking ages, alcohol limits, and stricter actions when it came to abuse or public drunkenness. The reason actions from gangsters and bootleggers came around so fast was because the public could not handle the immediate loss of such a staple. The gangsters and bootleggers knew that they could easily make profits off of this, and so the illegal activity began. If the government had not made such a dramatic step then the excess of crime may not have happened.
How Effective was the 18th Amendment?
-Prohibition in the United States was enacted because political leaders were concerned that the culture of drinking was too large, and caused issues in the home as well as in the workplace. Thus, they passed the 18th amendment which prohibited the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The consumption of alcohol did decline dramatically during prohibition; it was about 30% of what it had been before. This part of the amendment was fairly effective although consumption did increase in the final years. It was ineffective because many people disregarded the law and started bootlegging which creating more crime, gangsters, and overall problems for our nation. So although the 18th amendment did decrease consumption by about 70%, it was not effective because it resulted in more crime.
-Prohibition in the United States was enacted because political leaders were concerned that the culture of drinking was too large, and caused issues in the home as well as in the workplace. Thus, they passed the 18th amendment which prohibited the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The consumption of alcohol did decline dramatically during prohibition; it was about 30% of what it had been before. This part of the amendment was fairly effective although consumption did increase in the final years. It was ineffective because many people disregarded the law and started bootlegging which creating more crime, gangsters, and overall problems for our nation. So although the 18th amendment did decrease consumption by about 70%, it was not effective because it resulted in more crime.
How did the government deal with violations of the Volstead Act?
-The Volstead Act was passed nine months after the 18th amendment was ratified and it provided enforcement of the prohibition. Law-enforcement agencies out in a great effort to enforce prohibition by bringing states and people to court or trying to arrest them, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. The Volstead Act failed and so organized crime flourished with a large-scale distribution of alcoholic beverages.
-The Volstead Act was passed nine months after the 18th amendment was ratified and it provided enforcement of the prohibition. Law-enforcement agencies out in a great effort to enforce prohibition by bringing states and people to court or trying to arrest them, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. The Volstead Act failed and so organized crime flourished with a large-scale distribution of alcoholic beverages.
Why do the 1920's have such a big reputation for gangsters and crime? Is it deserved?
-Although the 18th amendment forbade the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages, many still wanted their alcohol and so bootleggers, speakeasies and gangsters sprang up. Criminal elements sprang up because of the large profits in the illegal alcohol industry. A speakeasy was a liquor establishment where alcoholic beverages were sold and consumed during Prohibition. Speakeasies were numerous and Federal Prohibition agents often raided these places, arresting both owners and customers. It was common for police to be bribed by speakeasy operators or gangsters in order to operate or be given advance notice about raids during 1920s' Prohibition. For example, Chicago’s Al Capone and his organization (gangsters) were considered glamorous figures and they supposedly had half the city’s police were on their payroll. Although there were many gangs that organized most of the crime, there were also small time groups that produced the alcohol. Bootleggers were people who made alcohol secretly and illegally during prohibition, and many of these people lived in the mountains or rural areas were they could produce moonshine which required distilling. The 1920’s did have a reputation for crime, and it was well deserved. The 18th amendment made a common practice illegal, so everything people did before had become illegal and thus the crime rose. Also, the great profits in the illegal liquor industry created gangsters, bootleggers and organized crime.
-Although the 18th amendment forbade the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages, many still wanted their alcohol and so bootleggers, speakeasies and gangsters sprang up. Criminal elements sprang up because of the large profits in the illegal alcohol industry. A speakeasy was a liquor establishment where alcoholic beverages were sold and consumed during Prohibition. Speakeasies were numerous and Federal Prohibition agents often raided these places, arresting both owners and customers. It was common for police to be bribed by speakeasy operators or gangsters in order to operate or be given advance notice about raids during 1920s' Prohibition. For example, Chicago’s Al Capone and his organization (gangsters) were considered glamorous figures and they supposedly had half the city’s police were on their payroll. Although there were many gangs that organized most of the crime, there were also small time groups that produced the alcohol. Bootleggers were people who made alcohol secretly and illegally during prohibition, and many of these people lived in the mountains or rural areas were they could produce moonshine which required distilling. The 1920’s did have a reputation for crime, and it was well deserved. The 18th amendment made a common practice illegal, so everything people did before had become illegal and thus the crime rose. Also, the great profits in the illegal liquor industry created gangsters, bootleggers and organized crime.
Vocabulary
Speakeasy-
An illicit liquor store or nightclub during Prohibition
Bootlegger-
Someone who makes and/or sells illegal liquor
Speakeasy-
An illicit liquor store or nightclub during Prohibition
Bootlegger-
Someone who makes and/or sells illegal liquor
Primary Source-APPARTS
Fiorella H. LaGuardia was a prominent New York city politician who served several terms in the House of Representatives. An outspoken critic of prohibition, he testified to the policy's failure. The National Prohibition Law, Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 69th Congress, 1st Session in 1926
"It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been enforced in this country. There may not be as much liquor in quantity consumed to-day as there was before prohibition, but there is just as much alcohol. At least 1,000,000 quarts of liquor is consumed each day in the United States. In my opinion such an enormous traffic in liquor could not be carried on without the knowledge, if not the connivance of the officials entrusted with the enforcement of the law... I believe that the percentage of whisky drinkers in the United States now is greater than in any other country of the world. Prohibition is responsible for that...At least $1,000,000,000 a year is lost to the National Government and the several States and counties in excise taxes. The liquor traffic is going on just the same. This amount goes into the pockets of bootleggers and in the pockets of the public officials in the shape of graft...I will concede that the saloon was odius but now we have delicatessen stores, pool rooms, drug stores, millinery shops, private parlors, and 57 other varieties of speak-easies selling liquor and flourishing"
Author- Fiorella H. LaGuardia, a New York City politician is the author of this excerpt.
Place & Time- LaGuardia gave the speech in a hearing in the U.S Senate in 1926.
Prior Knowledge- I was aware that Prohibition was a very controversial topic in the U.S government and was repeatedly discussed among the representatives. I was also aware of all the secret businesses like the Speakeasies, as well as an equal amount of liquor as pre-prohibition, and that the US government was losing quite a bit of money without the excise taxes on alcohol.
Audience- LaGuardia was speaking in a hearing to the U.S Senate, 69th Congress, about the Prohibition policy’s failure.
Reason- He made this speech to express his views on Prohibition in order to prove the policy’s failure.
The main idea- The main idea of his speech was how the Prohibition policies were not working considering that there was the same amount of alcohol in distribution as there was pre-Prohibition, that there were illegal speakeasies all over the place and that the government was losing a great deal of money over a policy that was clearly not working.
Significance- The speech was significant because it showed how the government was losing with the policy and the results that were hurting the country. He also had significant facts that prove his views and helped express to the hearing delegates specifically how the policy had failed.
Fiorella H. LaGuardia was a prominent New York city politician who served several terms in the House of Representatives. An outspoken critic of prohibition, he testified to the policy's failure. The National Prohibition Law, Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 69th Congress, 1st Session in 1926
"It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been enforced in this country. There may not be as much liquor in quantity consumed to-day as there was before prohibition, but there is just as much alcohol. At least 1,000,000 quarts of liquor is consumed each day in the United States. In my opinion such an enormous traffic in liquor could not be carried on without the knowledge, if not the connivance of the officials entrusted with the enforcement of the law... I believe that the percentage of whisky drinkers in the United States now is greater than in any other country of the world. Prohibition is responsible for that...At least $1,000,000,000 a year is lost to the National Government and the several States and counties in excise taxes. The liquor traffic is going on just the same. This amount goes into the pockets of bootleggers and in the pockets of the public officials in the shape of graft...I will concede that the saloon was odius but now we have delicatessen stores, pool rooms, drug stores, millinery shops, private parlors, and 57 other varieties of speak-easies selling liquor and flourishing"
Author- Fiorella H. LaGuardia, a New York City politician is the author of this excerpt.
Place & Time- LaGuardia gave the speech in a hearing in the U.S Senate in 1926.
Prior Knowledge- I was aware that Prohibition was a very controversial topic in the U.S government and was repeatedly discussed among the representatives. I was also aware of all the secret businesses like the Speakeasies, as well as an equal amount of liquor as pre-prohibition, and that the US government was losing quite a bit of money without the excise taxes on alcohol.
Audience- LaGuardia was speaking in a hearing to the U.S Senate, 69th Congress, about the Prohibition policy’s failure.
Reason- He made this speech to express his views on Prohibition in order to prove the policy’s failure.
The main idea- The main idea of his speech was how the Prohibition policies were not working considering that there was the same amount of alcohol in distribution as there was pre-Prohibition, that there were illegal speakeasies all over the place and that the government was losing a great deal of money over a policy that was clearly not working.
Significance- The speech was significant because it showed how the government was losing with the policy and the results that were hurting the country. He also had significant facts that prove his views and helped express to the hearing delegates specifically how the policy had failed.
Thinking Like a Historian: Change & Continuity
What has changed?
-The 18th Amendment is no longer in action, it was repealed by the 21st Amendment after long debates within the government.
What has remained the same?
-There are still issues throughout the US regarding illegal liquor trafficking, illegally producing alcohol and illegally operating bars or places with alcohol without proper licensing. There are also organizations still trying to enforce temperance and increase limits and laws regarding drinking.
Who has and who has not benefited from the change?
-Saloon owners have benefited tremendously because they regained the majority of their business they had pre-Prohibition, and the government has also benefited because they began to receive excise taxes again for alcohol which amounted to billions of dollars of taxes collected each year. Those who did not benefit from the repeal of the 18th amendment would obviously be the Temperance groups since they enacted Prohibition in the first place, and then alcoholics or recovering alcoholics because now the substance was more readily available.
What has changed?
-The 18th Amendment is no longer in action, it was repealed by the 21st Amendment after long debates within the government.
What has remained the same?
-There are still issues throughout the US regarding illegal liquor trafficking, illegally producing alcohol and illegally operating bars or places with alcohol without proper licensing. There are also organizations still trying to enforce temperance and increase limits and laws regarding drinking.
Who has and who has not benefited from the change?
-Saloon owners have benefited tremendously because they regained the majority of their business they had pre-Prohibition, and the government has also benefited because they began to receive excise taxes again for alcohol which amounted to billions of dollars of taxes collected each year. Those who did not benefit from the repeal of the 18th amendment would obviously be the Temperance groups since they enacted Prohibition in the first place, and then alcoholics or recovering alcoholics because now the substance was more readily available.