Prohibition

Categories: Social Science | US History
  • 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.

  • Supporters and Detractors

    There was wide support for prohibition in the 1910's 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.

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