Guide Note

Between 1920 and 1933, the United States banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol. This period, instigated after the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, is known as "prohibition."

The law was enacted as a result of the temperance movements prominent among the religious and women in the early 20th century.

Fast Facts

Organized crime grew with black market alcohol sales
Al Capone and Eliot Ness became national figures
Rum runners, Moonshine, and speakeasies became popular

Supporters and Detractors

There was wide support for prohibition in the 1910s among more than just religious groups. Southerners and African-Americans supported the movement, as did the Ku Klux Klan. There were minorities in many groups who opposed prohibition, including Catholics, German immigrants, and factions among women, Republicans and Democrats.

The Untouchables

Organized crime flourished in the United States during prohibition, most notoriously the organization of Al Capone and his Chicago-based smuggling and bootlegging operation. Brian De Palma's film The Untouchables chronicles a team of treasury agents pursuing prosecution of Capone.

Repeal

The United States was one of the last western nations to repeal laws banning alcohol. Franklin D. Roosevelt promised while running for president to reverse the law when elected. The 21st Amendment effectively ended prohibition on December 5, 1933.

Categories

History | U.S. History

View Note History

Prohibition

The Mahalo Top 7

Ohio State University: Temperance and Prohibition
Wikipedia: Prohibition in the United States
Digital History: Prohibition: Period 1920s
Westerville Library: The Anti-Saloon League
Albany.edu: The Rise of Speakeasies
Canadian Encyclopedia: Prohibition in Canada
SUNY-Potsdam: Prohibition: The Noble Experiment

Prohibition Background and Notable Figures

PBS: The American Experience - Prohibition
The Constitution of the United States of America: 18th Amendment
The Constitution of the United States of America: 21st Amendment
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Famous Cases: Al Capone
Wikipedia: Eliot Ness
Wikipedia: Carrie Nation

Prohibition Images and Media

Google Image Search: Prohibition
Arbizu: Speakeasy & Prohibition Photos
IMDb: The Untouchables (1987)
Museum TV: The Untouchables (TV)
YouTube: Prohibition: To Drink or Not to Drink (Britannica.com)
YouTube: 1920s Anti-Alcohol Commercial
Old Picture: Prohibition

Prohibition Books and Research

Google Book Search: Prohibition: Thirteen Years that Changed America
Amazon.com: Prohibition: Books
Library of Congress: Prohibition in the Progressive Era
YouTube: "Prohibition: America's Dry Spell" (9:34)
Drug Library: Did Alcohol Prohibition Reduce Alcohol Consumption And Crime?

Prohibition Editorials and Articles

EH.Net Encyclopedia: "Alcohol Prohibition"
North American Review: Prohibition Articles pdf document (1918)
Pittsburg Tribune: "Prohibition Politics" (2007)
University of Virginia: The Daily Progess: "Repeal of Prohibition Shows Change..." (1933)
Reason Magazine: The Politics of Prohibition (2007)

Prohibition Timeline

1893: The Anti Saloon League is formed
1913: 4000 members of the League, protest in Washington D.C., singing Temperance songs
1917: Jan 16, 18th Amendment is adopted
1919: Amendment ratified by 36th state, meeting the 3/4 requirement, to take place in one year
1919: October: Volstead Act, or National Prohibition Act is passed
1920: The 18th Amendment goes into effect
1920-1933: The illicit alcohol trade booms
1933: March, Volstead Act is modified
1933: December 5, the 21st Amendment is ratified and goes into effect immediately, repealing prohibition
1934-1970: The Excise Tax on alcohol climbs
1978: Jimmy Carter signs a bill legalizing home brewing of beer for the first time since Prohibition

Prohibition Satire and Humor

Social Smokers: Prohibition Cartoons and Fliers
Think Quest: Prohibition Cartoons
Political Cartoon: "Dry humor: the American cartoonists' view of Prohibition" By Dr Joyce A. Walker
History Illustrated: "Anti-Barleycorn: A Chalk-Talk on Prohibition" (1922)

Related Searches

Franklin D. Roosevelt | The Great Depression | Al Capone | Eliot Ness

This page was created by Lindsay F, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and curated by Mike. If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!