A Short Story of Prohibition
by Trevor Lamb

In the early part of the 20th century some people had had enough of liquor and its deleterious effects on people and their behavior. Some believed that alcohol, and drunkenness were the most worrying afflictions that our nation faced. At least on the surface this was what prohibition was about. On the flip side, it seemed that prohibition was about “a still dominant, overwhelmingly rural, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant establishment, aware that its privileges and natural right to rule were being increasingly threatened by the massive arrival of largely despised (and feared) beer-swilling, wine-drinking new American immigrants” (Behr, 1996). Many of the “Americans” had descended from Protestant, British roots and felt they had they right and obligation to uphold the moral piety of those around them to ensure the survival of their Religion centered society.

There are other takes though as well, some felt that focusing on Prohibition gave the government an opportunity to avoid more pressing issues concerning the well being of the lower and underprivileged classes, while other also viewed it simply as the nation’s ludicrous attempt to control and regulate a well-established social behavior and convention (Behr, 1996). The time of Prohibition followed, or really began in the middle of what was one big whiskey party for a great majority of Americans. During the mid and late 19th century, whiskey by the gallon was used as a common way to barter for other goods. Alcohol was considered good for the body and was used to treat any number of ailments. The consumption of liquor was profuse.

As a natural reaction to growing familiarity that Americans were gaining with alcohol and drunkenness people began to join groups, groups that were proponents of temperance and or abstinence when it came to the drink. Many of these believers were fanatical in their beliefs and in the delivery and spread of their message. Little by little the movements gained a stronger and stronger following of those who believed that alcohol and its consumption were rotting away the moral integrity, health, and overall foundation of American society. One of the largest constituents of this group was women. Women became so fixated on this cause that they made it into “the first women’s mass movement in American history…[and] also the modern world’s first large-scale, nonviolent protest movement” (Behr, 1996). These women used their determination and a strict sense of religious morality to spread their message and to gain a large audience as their efforts became increasingly covered in the increasingly important newspapers.

Prohibition was enacted as the 18th amendment to the Constitution. The bill, known as the Volstead Act, after Andrew J. Volstead, a Republican congressman from the state of Minnesota, was introduced on the 27th of May, 1919. After three months of debate the bill was passed by a vote of 255 to 166. On the 5th of September the Senate voted and passed the bill too. It was then made official after a final vote in the House of 321 to 70, and so was made law on October 10th (Behr, 1996).

The law made sure that alcohol was not easy to lay hands on. All advertising was banned along with the consumption and production of alcohol itself. Also any equipment that could potentially be used in some manner to produce alcohol was banned from being sold. There were a few exceptions to the rule such as certain medicines, prescriptions, wine used in the church, and some others. Beer could still be brewed as well, but the content had to be at half a percent or lower (Behr, 1996).

The interesting part of all of this though was the rapid proliferation of illegal, bootleg liquor and its consumption soon after the bill was passed. Throughout the nation people were producing illegal beverages from all sorts of ingredients, using whatever fruits or other sources of sugar that they could find. Often, illegal liquor was smuggled in from near-by nations where business was as usual, and which still produced alcohol for consumption.

In this time many legitimate restaurants and taverns closed, the industries related to alcohol production withered, and so the scene was set for the entrance of the speakeasy. The speakeasy was a cultural phenomena which was a direct result of prohibition legislation. It was, for all intensive purposes, an illegal club for drinking, buying, selling, and storing liquor. Soon after they started appearing there was an explosion of these clubs, especially in major cities, like New York. They became a regular fixture of swanky night life, run by shrewd socialites, who were well acquainted with how to get around the system. Often the prices were astronomical for the times, but still the people flocked as the popularity of the speakeasy and the entire culture surrounding it grew and grew.

Along with the liquor speakeasies often offered an array of entertainment from bands to cabarets to dancing girls. This though, clearly was only one type of speakeasy, there were still many which remained, dark, seedy places where terrible home made booze could be purchased for a reasonable price. The theme though was becoming increasingly apparent, it was becoming more and more popular among large sections of the population to go ahead and break those laws concerning prohibition. This era spurred an entire cultural episode, brining to the forefront gangsters of notorious violence with tommy guns. Criminals like Al Capone became a fixture, as well as those who pursued them, such as Elliot Ness.

Finally though the end came with the repeal of the Act in December of 1933. After Roosevelt became president the process was fairly easy. It was during the depression years, and even mid-west farmers were realizing that the liquor industry could prove beneficial to them, if they were able to sell them their grains. The process took a few steps, with Roosevelt taking early action to appease certain factions, and increasing the legal alcohol content of beer to a little over three percent. Then real beer was re-legalized followed by wine and spirits a few months later. Prohibition had ended and the people celebrated by drinking just as they had for the last 13 years, only now, it was legal.

References
Behr, Edward. Prohibition: Thirteen Years that Changed America, Arcade Publishing, New York: 1996.

Websites
This site includes an in depth history of prohibition as well as the years and attitudes proceeding its enactment.
http://prohibition.history.ohio-state.edu/Contents.htm

This site includes some pictures and information on related issues.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html

This site is an interesting, in depth argument and explanation as to why prohibition was an utter failure.
It includes graphs and a substantial amount of supporting evidence.
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture17.html

This is a set of lecture notes from a university professor on the politics surrounding prohibition in the 20th century.
http://www.swil.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/SWLCanMu/twtprhb.html