Impact of Prohibition

          Prohibition is when the manufacturing or intake of alcohol is illegal. The United States had a fourteen year time period in which alcohol was illegal. As it looked like a successful way to reduce crime and corruption, it turned out to be a disaster. The act was also put into action to try to help reduce the tax burdens created by prisons. The illegal use of alcohol then encouraged secretive and even more dangerous wrong doings. Prohibition impacted the United States by changing the daily life of civilians. The deception involved in the Prohibition era led to a national mindset of corruption involving government officials, classes in society changing and the demand for alcohol.

            As government officials are commonly known as textbook rule followers, the prohibition era changed the way officials enforced laws. Cops were paid a minimal salary, making them struggle to provide for their families. As cops were paid minimally they were looking for extra money, going against their job to make extra money helped. During Prohibition, large amounts of alcohol were smuggled from Canada, and over state lines into private houses and bars. Cops were paid off to turn a blind eye to escort liquor trucks. The illegal manufacturing and selling commonly referred to bootlegging, went along with the operation of bars and clubs illegally providing alcohol, which is commonly referred to as  “speakeasies”, cops accepted large amounts of bribes and barters to not report the illegal action. The more alcohol being produced, the more people who committed a felony by in taking it, and public enforcement hiding it, the harder it was to convict the crime. The cops that did follow the law, had nearly an impossible chance of convicting criminals. In New York, seven thousand cases were made against alcohol, with only twenty seven cases being convicted. For over a decade, people became to feel more and more fearless with potentially getting caught.

            The reason for the Prohibition act in the first place was to reduce crime, which wasn't successful. Social classes in society introduced new types of gangsters and stirred criminal activity.In each major city had its main gangster, they dominated the city providing the commodity. Providing cities with alcohol started a network. Along with the network of organized criminal activity, high members in society contributed as well. Doctors began to write prescriptions for whiskey, whiskey was supposed to only be used for medical purposes only. Not only were adults drinking, it created a rise in children in taking alcohol. During the Prohibition period, there were more cases of hospitalization of teens due to alcohol, than ever reported. Members of society contributed to organized criminal activity.

            Even though alcohol was illegal, there was a very high demand for it still. Alcohol began to be made at a very high alcohol content, and often poisons and extra chemicals were added. People began to learn how to brew their own alcohol making it a  less expensive way to have alcohol at their own convenience. As people engaged in distilling their own alcohol, making alcohol began to become a career choice. The price of alcohol rises, led to more alcohol production. Even though drinking alcohol was illegal, it still remained popular and socially accepted.

            During Prohibition it led to inflation in consuming  alcoholic beverages and led to a National corruption involving government officials, classes in society and changing the demand for alcohol. The consumption of alcohol became more popular when it was illegal, even though it was primarily set into place to help America, Prohibition was repealed on December 5th, 1933 because the United States economy was suffering from the Stock Market crash. The newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt came into presidency wanting to improve the economy with first order to repeal Prohibition. Overall Prohibition did not accomplish to improve America, it ended up being a fourteen year time period of lies, crimes and destruction.

           

This shows a group of guilty bootleggers. Bootleggers manufactured and sold alcohol which during this time period was very illegal.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/unintended-consequences/

The American Issue published a headline named "U.S Is Voted Dry". This started a whole new Era in American History. America being voted dry was a way to improve and try to prevent corruption.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/unintended-consequences/

Works Cited

“Alcohol Decreased During Prohibtion.” Scaffter Library of Drug Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. <http://www.druglibrary.org/prohibitionresults1.htm>.

Brown, L. Ames. Prohibition; The North American Review; Volume 202. N.p.: University of Northern Iowa, n.d. Print. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25108648

Colman, Penny. Elizabth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony- A friendship that changed the world. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company, n.d. Print.

Lerner, Michael. “Unintended Consequences.” Prohibition. APT/ PBS, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/prohibition http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/unintended-consequences/>.

“Prohibition.” History. com. A+E Networks, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/prohibition>.

Raushenbush, Carl. The Economic Results of Prohibition. N.p.: American Economic Association, n.d. Print. http://www.jstor.org/stable/289

The Temperance movement and Prohibition in America. N.p.: History Study Centre. ProQuest LLC. 2010, 2014. Print. http://www.historystudycenter.com/search/displayMultiResultStudyunitItem.do?Multi=yes&ResultsID=149961B826C&fromPage=search&ItemNumber=1&QueryName=studyunit#primary_sources