Prohibition and the American People Essay - 1040 Words

Prohibition and the American People Abraham Lincoln, arguably the greatest president in American history, is believed to have said, â€Å"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.† The temperance movement put pressure on government officials to make changes in the U.S., one of these changes was put into play by the 18th amendment. This amendment banned the making, sale, and transportation of alcohol illegal, but not†¦show more content†¦It was very simple to go out and get the necessary products to make alcohol. According to Erica Hanson (1999), â€Å"For those Americans who did not want to go to the effort of making their own liquor, an army of bootleggers, moonshiners, and r um runners were available to supply the nation with all the booze its citizens could drink† (p.29). In case neither of those options worked, a person could walk down the road to find a speakeasy to drink and break the law. Law enforcement was poorly organized to deal with the law breaking and crime. The Prohibition Bureau funds were nowhere near what they needed to be so there were not enough people hired to stop the many illegal operations. Many officials could be bought to keep their mouth shut and look the other way. The number of officers that actually busted law breakers was minimal. Law enforcement, on average, only took 5 percent of smuggled alcohol a year and one in twelve prohibition agents were fired for accepting a bribe. All in all, prohibition caused many problems for the U.S. to the point that we couldn’t handle the situation at hand. The opposing side of the argument on prohibition was very powerful and a force that wanted to keep the U.S. from falling into a hole they could not get out of. The â€Å"dry’s† or those for prohibition thought that prohibition would promote moral improvement and allow the U.S. to strive for perfection. To improve the morals of all, they believedShow MoreRelatedThe Prohibition During The 1920s1590 Words   |  7 PagesThe Prohibition during the 1920s has been widely scrutinized and is often used as an example today to show how banning a specific substance after it has been in wide circulation is a wasted effort. Many historians, economists, and Americans have analyzed the complications during the Prohibition and have culminated their thoughts to provide an accurate and in depth analysis of what caused the Prohibition to fail. Similarly, experts have presented data that shows just how drastically each year differedRead MoreThe Era of Prohibition1329 Words   |  6 Pa gesProhibition was a very interesting era that lasted from 1919 to 1933 (Ian Tyrell). It was a time where crime was at its highest. People where breaking the rules like never before. Drinking was a tradition Americans have been doing for many generations. Putting a ban on this substance seemed to many an injustice. They felt as if the government were taking their rights away. Prohibiting this drink may have caused things to go for worse. Alcohol has been socially acceptable for many years. It’s alwaysRead MoreProhibition Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesProhibition The years leading into the 1920s and the prohibition movement were marked with saloons, drunkenness, and a society of increasing alcohol consumption. Americas changing social habits brought on the passage of the Eighteenth amendment in 1919, placing a nation-wide ban on intoxicating liquors. 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The news of prohibition also gave the chance for women to defend themselves and preach their rights since many felt thatRead MoreThe Alcohol Prohibition in the United Sates1849 Words   |  7 Pages On January 16, 1920 many Americans felt that their voices had finally been heard. Their hard fought war was over. They had finally sent John Barleycorn to the grave. They believed the United States could now escape poverty and families could prosper. On January 16, 1920 the 18th amendment went into effect. The 18th amendment was the prohibition of any intoxicating liquor. Many celebrated what they called the death of John Barleycorn, a fictional character representing alcohol. The future lookedRead More absolut Failure Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesThe social changes during this period are reflected in the laws and regulations that were implemented. One of the most pr ominent examples of this was prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, or the Volsted act as it is also know, was implemented to eliminate the use of alcohol in the United States. In doing this, the advocates of prohibition hoped to also eradicate the social problems associated with alcohol. â€Å"It was an attempt to promote Protestant middle-class culture as a means of imposingRead MoreProhibition in the United States909 Words   |  4 Pageshard day at work, you like to relax with a glass of wine, or maybe even bourbon. Without the ratification of the 21st Amendment, the people of the United States wouldn’t be able to enjoy any alcoholic beverages. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1919, outlawing the sale of alcoholic beverages and brining in the period known as Prohibition. 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