Free Essays on Prohibition

Causes and Effects Of the Prohibition Since at least the turn of the century, reformers had been denouncing alcohol as a danger to society as well as to the human body. The true feeling behind this thought was that the use of alcohol was due to the influence of the city. The first American colonists started out with the belief that city life was wicked and evil, whereas country and village life were good (Sinclair 10). Later, during the war, the idea of prohibition was a way of keeping the country patriotic, and thus strong. A common phrase was â€Å"A drunk worker is not a productive worker† (McDonnel 394). Throughout history, there were many reasons to push a Prohibition amendment; however, though many of the causes for Prohibition were honorable, most of the effects did more harm for America than good. The first section of the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, â€Å"After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.† What this meant was, it was illegal to make, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost fourteen years, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed in December of 1933, when the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this short time, America underwent a great transformation due to the new law. There were many causes for the Prohibition movement. One main cause was religious revivalism. Prohibition was a result of the Protestant communities action to assert its dominant position in the nation’s culture. They believed that once this was achieved, the whole nation would be under the sway of Protestant moral values. Social reform was another reason Prohibition was supported. â€Å"Prohibition was an at... Free Essays on Prohibition Free Essays on Prohibition The ‘noble experiment’ of Prohibition left a lasting impact on the United States of America despite its relatively short existence. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in January of 1919 and prohibited the sale, manufacture and transportation of liquor in the United States one year after ratification. The Volstead Act of 1920 enforced the 18th Amendment of the Constitution and began the era of prohibition that concluded in 1933. The issue of alcohol consumption and distribution was a long-standing one in the United States. However, the introduction of Prohibition coupled with the social problems of the time lead to a dark spot in American history. A combination of social problems and Prohibition lead to the rise of organized crime, and organized crimes most feared gangster, Al Capone. This paper will discuss the impact of Prohibition on the United States and the emergence of organized crime, and in particular, Al Capone. Prohibition was introduced in the United States for a vast number of reasons. Prohibition was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisoners and poorhouses, and to improve the health and hygiene in America. Traynor also indicates the entry of America into World War I in 1917 also increased the pressure on the government to introduce a federal ban on alcohol. The problems faced by the nation that lead to the introduction of Prohibition seem far to complex to be solved by a ban on alcohol. However, there was a definite excitement that surrounded Prohibition and the anticipated results of its introduction. This excitement is no more evident that in Reverend Billy Sunday’s speech in which he predicted that ‘the reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs. Men will walk upright now, women will smile and children will l augh. Hell will be for... Free Essays on Prohibition This essay deals with the Prohibition that was in effect in the United States between 1920 and 1933. The essay focuses on the reasons that the Eighteenth Amendment, which put Prohibition into effect, was eventually repealed. The thesis is that though the `Noble Experiment' had some good effects, the drawbacks, real and perceived eventually convinced Americans that the country was better off without Prohibition and enabled them to rapidly move to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment. The causes of repeal that are focused on in this essay are the fact that Prohibition was unenforceable; the fact that the public began to lose confidence in the success of Prohibition; and the fact that anti-prohibitionists capitalized on this lack of confidence to eventually spur the public toward repeal. The conclusion reached at the end is a rather philosophical one. When all the evidence has been reviewed concerning the problems with Prohibition, the benefits of the same, and the way public opinion changed, it becomes clear that in a democratic society such as the one in which this prohibition was attempted, the will of the people is paramount. If the people of a democratic nation decide to do something to change their situation, they will. This is first seen in the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment. Later, when public sentiment changed to the reverse of what it had been, Americans were able to quickly reverse what they had done, even though it was the sacrosanct act of changing the Constitution. Table of Contents Introduction Unenforceability Changing Public Opinion Uncertainty Repeal Conclusion Bibliography Introduction On January 17, 1920, at 12:01 AM, the Volstead Act went into effect all over the United States. This Act made the Eighteenth Amendment law, and officially outlawed the sale, transport, and production of alcoholic beverages. The night before, on January 16, 1920, drinkers all over the country headed to their favorite sal... Free Essays on Prohibition Causes and Effects Of the Prohibition Since at least the turn of the century, reformers had been denouncing alcohol as a danger to society as well as to the human body. The true feeling behind this thought was that the use of alcohol was due to the influence of the city. The first American colonists started out with the belief that city life was wicked and evil, whereas country and village life were good (Sinclair 10). Later, during the war, the idea of prohibition was a way of keeping the country patriotic, and thus strong. A common phrase was â€Å"A drunk worker is not a productive worker† (McDonnel 394). Throughout history, there were many reasons to push a Prohibition amendment; however, though many of the causes for Prohibition were honorable, most of the effects did more harm for America than good. The first section of the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, â€Å"After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.† What this meant was, it was illegal to make, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost fourteen years, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed in December of 1933, when the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this short time, America underwent a great transformation due to the new law. There were many causes for the Prohibition movement. One main cause was religious revivalism. Prohibition was a result of the Protestant communities action to assert its dominant position in the nation’s culture. They believed that once this was achieved, the whole nation would be under the sway of Protestant moral values. Social reform was another reason Prohibition was supported. â€Å"Prohibition was an at... Free Essays on Prohibition Prohibition and the 1920’s The 1920’s are often described as the decade of contrast and conflicts. It was a decade that some would say was the worst decade in American history. The 18th amendment to the constitution was passed by congress in 1917. It was ratified by three fourths of the states by 1919. This amendment prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages within the boundaries of the United States of America. Prohibition was officially underway. The Volsted Act of 1919 defined an alcoholic beverage clearly as any beverage with an alcoholic content of greater than .5 %. This made it illegal to sell and manufacture all liquor and beer. (Shultz 1) 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. Leaders of the social movements tried to justify their views against alcohol with scientific evidence. Temperance advocates founded the Scientific Temperance Journal after the Civil War. Children’s textbooks depicted human organs degenerating from and over abundance of alcoholic beverages being consumed. In the 1870’s the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) promoted the use of public education for the cause of temperance. They were very successful with that. By 1902 every state and territory except for Arizona had a law requiring temperance instruction in public schools. They argued that immigrants were inferior to the Americans because they allow their children to drink alcohol at... Free Essays on Prohibition Speech Outline #2 Title: Prohibition 1920-1933 General Purpose: To Inform Specific Purpose: To tell my audience about the United States Government’s attempt Thesis Statement: Prohibition was a total failure due to the lack of re to ban the sale, distribution, or consumption of alcohol from 1920-1933. search on the effects it would have on the many different phases of society. Introduction: I. Imagine the reaction of people across the United States if President Bush were to come on television one day and tell the American people that there will be no more alcohol distributed, sold, or consumed in the U.S anymore. This was a reality on January 19, 1920 when the 18th amendment was passed into effect. II. Ultimately Prohibition failed because no one predicted the many different social problems that came along with the passing of the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act. III. After intense research on the era of Prohibition I now thoroughly understand its detrimental effects on society. Relating Prohibition to the â€Å"War on Drugs† campaign launched my President Regan in my own generation also helps give me some perspective on what a â€Å"Prohibition† does to a society. IV. This speech should help you gain the understanding that we as Americans must be fully aware of our rights and try to actively participate in our government so that we can help stop our government from making foolish decisions, such as Prohibition, that negatively affect our society. V. Prohibition was a failure in almost every aspect of society, ranging from the economy to our own personal health. But to fully understand why Prohibition was a failure you must first understand the history behind it and how it got started. Body: I. How did Prohibition get started? A. In the 1940’s a businessman from Portland, Maine by the name of Neal Dow became tired of seeing his community becoming run dow... Free Essays on Prohibition What Caused the Prohibition and How It Affected United States History Causes and Effects Of the Prohibition Since at least the turn of the century, reformers had been denouncing alcohol as a danger to society as well as to the human body. The true feeling behind this thought was that the use of alcohol was due to the influence of the city. The first American colonists started out with the belief that city life was wicked and evil, whereas country and village life were good (Sinclair 10). Later, during the war, the idea of prohibition was a way of keeping the country patriotic, and thus strong. A common phrase was â€Å"A drunk worker is not a productive worker† (McDonnel 394). Throughout history, there were many reasons to push a Prohibition amendment; however, though many of the causes for Prohibition were honorable, most of the effects did more harm for America than good. The first section of the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, â€Å"After one year from the ratification of this article, the manu facture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.† What this meant was, it was illegal to make, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost fourteen years, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed in December of 1933, when the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this short time, America underwent a great transformation due to the new law. There were many causes for the Prohibition movement. One main cause was religious revivalism. Prohibition was a result of the Protestant communities action to assert its dominant position in the nation’s culture. They believed that once this was achieved, the whole nation would be under the swa...