Proibition

Prohibition was a phenomenon during the 20’s. It was not however the first campaign against alcohol, but it was by far the most successful. There had been numerous anti-alcohol campaigns during the colonial period. None of which were as successful as the national prohibition laws in the 20’s. For example in 1851 the Maine Law prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the state of Maine. By 1855 thirteen other states had adopted similar laws. During the Civil War alcoholic beverages were not allowed in the union army as a way to ration grain.

Many bootleggers secured their business by bribing the authorities, namely federal agents and persons of high political status (Bowen, 160). “No one who is intellectually honest will deny that there has not yet been effective nationwide enforcement” (Behr, 161).

The history of the brewing industry and the history of the prohibition movement were closely related. Brewing became a big business in the later part of the 1800’s. The German immigrants brought beer to the United States. They would make homemade brews and sell it to those who lived around them. It proved popular. After 1890 was the principal alcoholic beverage in the American market out doing the distilled spirits.

Prohibition was supposed to be an economic and moral bonanza. Prisons and poorhouses were to be emptied, taxes cut, and social problems eliminated. Productivity was supposed to increase and absenteeism was to disappear. The economy was to begin a never-ending boom. That outlook was shattered by the stock market crash of 1929. Prohibition did not improve productivity or reduce absenteeism.

During prohibition the face of alcohol was changed. It was made to look like a glamour product associated with excitement and intrigue to appeal to young men and women. To those who sold alcohol it looked like a gold mine. They could charge top dollar and make a huge profit. The sellers also were motivated to try and get those nondrinkers to start drinking because the more people who drank the more money there was to be made.

You would think that alcohol would not be easy to come by because it was illegal, but it was actually very easy to obtain. One businessman said that during prohibition there were many more places to drink than there ever were before (Thorton). The bootlegging business was so big. Customers could easily obtain alcohol by simply walking down almost any street. Illegal speak-easies replaced the saloons when they were all shut down. These businesses were hidden in basements, office buildings, and anywhere that could be found. They only admitted those with membership cards. They also had the most modern alarm systems to avoid being shut down. “There were twice as many speak-easies in Rochester, New York, as saloons closed by Prohibition” (Thorton).

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