The Prohibition Era, 1919-1933

The Prohibition Era, 1919-1933

History of the Temperance Movement The Temperance Movement began in the U.S. in the early 1800s but gained strength in the late 1800s. By 1830, the average American over the age of 15 drank the equivalent of 88 bottles of whiskey per year! Temperance advocates, women included, used social, educational, and political tactics to push for government control of liquor. Supported by churches and business owners who faced poor worker productivity and absenteeism.

By 1918, more than ¾ of people in the U.S. lived in dry states or counties.

It was not until WWI that antisaloon advocates were able to associate Prohibition with patriotism. A ban on alcohol would boost supplies of important grains, such as barley. Argued that it was wrong of some Americans to enjoy alcohol while the country s young men were at war. Anti-German hysteria aided Prohibition crusaders. We have German enemies across the water, we have German enemies in this country too. And the worst of all our German enemies, the most treacherous, the most menacing are Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz and Miller.

The Prohibition Era, 1919-1933 In 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act, known as the National Prohibition Act, banning brewing and selling beverages containing more than ½ of 1% alcohol. In June 1919, the 36 th state ratified the 18 th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transport of intoxicating liquors. (However, the country had, for all practical purposes, been dry since 1917.)

Amendment XVIII, U.S. Constitution Section 1. 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. Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. Passed December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919.

This Detroit scene was repeated across the nation, January, 16, 1920, as shoppers stocked up on the last day before Prohibition took effect.

Positive Outcomes of Prohibition Prohibition did reduce total consumption, especially in rural areas and urban working-class neighborhoods. A study found that the amount of wages flowing into savings accounts and family necessities increased, as opposed to being spent on booze. There was a sharp decline in alcoholism-related hospital admissions, in the prevalence of alcohol-related psychoses, and in other drinkingrelated conditions. There were fewer arrests for drunkenness, and the national cost of incarcerating inebriates declined. There was a dramatic decline in the national death rate from alcoholism.

In his book The Devaluing of America, William Bennett, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush, said: Contrary to myth, there is no evidence that Prohibition caused any big increases in crime. The real facts are these: As a result of Prohibition, 180,000 saloons were shut down, and 1,800 breweries went out of business. In ten years of Prohibition, the death rate due to alcohol decreased 42 percent, the death rate due to cirrhosis of the liver decreased by 70 percent, crime decreased by 54 percent, and insanity decreased by 66 percent.

Negative Outcomes of Prohibition Legislation showed the difficulty of using the law to promote moral reform. People who wanted to drink found a way.

Women (middle and upper class women) began to drink in public for the first time.

Negative Outcomes of Prohibition (cont.) Speakeasies replaced saloons, people consumed bathtub gin, home brews, and many strange, dangerous concoctions. Bartenders invented the cocktail in an effort to disguise the poor quality of liquor. Popular drinks of the day included the Sidecar, the Highball, the French 75, and the Bees Knees (which included a spoonful of honey, lemon, and a splash of orange juice to mask the flavor of bathtub gin.)

Grandpa Was A Bootlegger My Grandpa was a bootlegger. In fact, his father was a stern, honest farmer. Now Grandpa, he was the black sheep of the family, a bit of a rounder by all accounts, but friendly, outgoing and generally loved by most of his acquaintances. Well, the Revenue agents didn t like him much he thoroughly enjoyed being a bootlegger, and reveled in outrunning or outmaneuvering the revenuers. A family folklore surrounded those years, that Grandpa went to prison for bootlegging. A little digging brought up the prison record, which listed the charges as petty larceny, for stealing a barrel of gas. When his daughter Shirley was asked about this, she chuckled and said, Oh yeah! Dad used to laugh about that. He was delivering a barrel of whiskey in Phoenix when the law started chasing him. Realizing he would be caught, he raced into a gas station, dumped the whiskey, grabbed a barrel of gas and raced out. He was stopped shortly after, and the revenue agents mainly wanted his list of customers. Well, that list included certain judges, attorneys, even the attorney general, and he wasn t about to give them up. Enraged by his lack of cooperation, the agents saw to it that he was sent to prison for stealing 25 gallons of gas, worth less than 5 dollars. He spent a year there, in 1924, for a petty offense, not a felony! Needless to say, there were many well placed politicians and professionals that deeply appreciated his discretion, and they remained his friends all of his life.

To enforce the 18 th Amendment, a Prohibition Bureau was formed in the Treasury Department with the task to enforce the law. Their jobs was to patrol 18,700 miles of coastline, as well as inland borders, track down illegal stills, monitor highways for truckloads of illegal alcohol, and oversee all industries that legally used alcohol to make sure that none was diverted for illegal purposes. The Prohibition Bureau employed approximately 1,500 federal agents and local police, creating a major enforcement challenge. Most field enforcement agents were poorly paid and therefore easy to bribe. To exacerbate the problem, the enforcement effort received little support from the federal government, both in terms of lack of funds as well as little cooperation from other government agencies and officials.

Prohibition agents examine liquor confiscated from a captured rum runner, 1924 Patrolling thousands of miles of borders to stop smuggling was nearly impossible, as was locating and shutting down the numerous stills and speakeasies popping up around the country. By 1925, in New York City alone there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs.

The demand for alcohol outweighed the demand for sobriety. People found clever ways to evade Prohibition agents. They carried hip flasks, hollowed canes, false books, and the like. Homemade liquor still, 1920 Many Americans experimented with homemade stills to make alcohol for home consumption or to sell illegally during Prohibition

"Jurors Go On Trial, Drank Up Evidence, NYT, Jan. 7, 1928 In the same court where they heard testimony last Friday afternoon that acquitted a liquor defendant eight jurors went on trial today before Municipal Judge Ambrose to show cause why they should not be suspended from further jury service for drinking the evidence in the case. The ninth member of the jury, A. A. Huelester, collapased soon after the Magistrate had assailed the jurors vigorously for a "breach of conduct." Mr. Huelesteer was removed to his home on orders of a county jail physician who examined him. Though earlier in the day the Judge had discharged nine members of the jury when they refused to take the stand and deny consuming virtually all of the evidence against George Beven, hotel clerk. He finally appointed attorneys to represent them. Sworn to tell the truth, the eight jurors took the stand and gave their stories as to what happened in the jury room during the three hours it took to determine the case of Beven, who was acquitted of violation of the State Prohibition act. Judge Ambrose heard the charges of drinking the evidence in silence. The jurors all admitted drinking the pint of liquor which was the prosecution's chief exhibit against Beven. All denied it was consumed without an honorable motive. They stated it was sampled to determine whether it was of alcoholic content and actually constituted a violation of the liquor law. The magistrate considered the pleadings of the two lawyers appointed by him to get at the facts of the case. He agreed to go over the circumstances again in his mind and decide Monday at 9:30 A.M. whether to reinstate the nine accused jurors.

Negative Outcomes of Prohibition (cont.) Prohibition agents devoted much time and energy to the task of combating the big city gangs that grew rich and powerful off of bootlegging. Bootlegging rings were tied to organized crime in many cities and funded. Mob operations made millions from the illegal sale & manufacturing of alcohol. Al Capone (Chicago) was the most famous underworld figure power and wealth was tied to the sale of illegal alcohol. His organization grossed an estimated $60 million in 1927 (which is more 750 million in today s money)! (Most of the profits came from distributing beer.) In many cases, cops were aware of what was going on and illegally accepted bribes from the mob to look the other way.

Movement to Repeal the 18 th Amendment Many supporters of Prohibition came to favor its repeal because: It stimulated too much illegal activity It did not seem to be worth the social, economic and political costs The closing of breweries, distilleries and saloons led to the elimination of thousands of jobs. Prohibition led to unintended consequences such as declining profits in restaurants, theaters, and other entertainment industries. In NY, almost 75% of the state s revenue was derived from liquor taxes. Prohibition cost the federal govt. a total of $11 billion in lost tax revenue, and cost over $300 million to enforce.

The Great Depression struck the final blow against Prohibition. Here, marchers in Detroit bear signs reading, "Beer for Taxation, Jobs for Millions, 1930.

The End of Prohibition (1933) As part of FDR s New Deal legislation, the Beer-Wine Revenue Act legalized beer that had an alcohol content of 3.2% and light wines and levied a tax on both (revenue generator during the Great Depression.) The 21 st Amendment, ratified Dec. 5, 1933, repealed the 18 th Amendment and ended the Prohibition experiment.