Prohibition Congress passed 18 th Amendment in 1920
Prohibition ● Congress passed 18 th Amendment in 1920 o read: “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. . . is hereby prohibited”
EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION ● Alcohol consumption went down ⅓ ● Alcohol related deaths declined ● Decrease of arrests for drunkenness ● Many have stopped drinking for reasons o Pro-Temperance o Respect for Constitution o Fear of prosecution o Lack of funds to purchase black market liquor
VOLSTEAD ACT ● Labeled intoxicating beverages as anything less than 1/2 of 1% alcohol BUT ● Drinking alcohol remained legal as well as making alcohol for own use. ● Previously bought liquor by people or clubs was allowed ● Makers of patent medicine containing alcohol were still allowed to sell it ● Selling of Alcohol was legal for: o Medicinal o Sacramental o Jewish household allowed certain amount per year
ENFORCEMENT ● Responsibility was on Federal Gov’t ● Divided into two departments: o Treasury: With Prohibition Bureau, arrested, gathered and destroyed evidence o Justice: prosecuted violators ● State that didn’t support Prohibition didn’t support federal gov’t ● Federal Gov’t wanted states to enforce own strict laws.
Enforcement in NY ● Would require 250, 000 agents to enforce the law ● Only 200 agents for the entire state o politicians started to just hand out positions for the P. B § they weren’t trained § Shot innocent bystanders § Demanded bribes from bootleggers ● NYC police did not get involved
Problem…. ● Prohibition Bureau was significantly underfunded and staffed ● 1, 500 agents covering 18, 700 miles of coastline plus inland.
Drinking During Prohibition ● Americans still got hands on liquor ● Entered the illegal market as roles of moonshiners, rumrunners, and bootleggers ● Cocktail parties became fashionable ● Speakeasies started to rise o consist of middle/upper-middle class men/women ● Created rebellious youth in America ● Changed the mentality of women in public o known as Flappers
RUM ROW ● Coast Guard only had 50 vessels to man entire coastline ● Ships would drop anchor just beyond U. S Jurisdiction. ● Smaller boats take the liquor from freight ships. ● Liquor cargo would land on the beach where it would be picked up
Prohibition and Organize Crime ● Led to a significant rise in organized crime ● The Mafia and other Gangs saw the potential of making tens of millions of dollars. o Some of the famous gangsters:
GEORGE REMUS CINCINNATI
SALVATORE LUCKY LUCIANO NYC
AL CAPONE CHICAGO
Organized Crime Cont. ● Mod bosses would “put the fix” on the corrupt police, federal agents, and judges. o Pay them for protection and interference from the honest police. ● Competition would problematic. o Disputes over turf and clientele sparked violence. o Gang-related violence repeatedly made headline.
GEORGE REMUS ● Started as an Attorney defending bootleggers ● Bought up distilleries as drug companies ● Profits were all tax free cash o made $79, 000 a day ● 3, 000 employees working 3 shifts a day ● Making millions a year ● Paid off local, state, and federal officials
Remus cont. ● George Remus who F. Scott Fitzgerald based his character Jay Gatsby on, became so rich from bootlegging that he use to leave $100 dollar bills under his guest dinner plates. And once he gave brand new 1923 Pontiac automobiles to 50 of his female guest.
AL CAPONE ● Gained control over speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, horse and racetrack, night clubs, distilleries, and breweries ● Made an income of $100 million a year ● Extensive spy network of paperboys and policemen ● Skillful of isolating and killing his enemies when too powerful.
St. Valentine Day Massacre ● Bugs Moran another mob boss was a threat to Al Capone and Jack Mc. Gurn. ● To get rid of Moran, Capone and Mc. Gurn’s men in police uniform and car would put on a fake raid. ● Raid was successful, which resulted in the defenseless massacre of Moran’s 6 men and one bystander.
Aftermath R Re-enactment
Prohibition and Pop Culture ● Influenced American culture Impacted slang, music, and movies ● hundreds of new words were created to describe drinking, drinkers, and alcohol ● Hollywood movies displayed the lavish lifestyles of young men and women disobeying the law by going to speakeasies and cocktail parties.
Pop Culture Cont. ● Was the inspiration for a lot of popular music o Some songs was written about alcohol and prohibition using familiar tunes § “Everyday Will Be Sunday When the Town Goes Dry”Edward Meeker ● https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p 87 BKwp. Gca. M § “It’s the Smart Feller Who Stocked Up His Cellar Who WIll Get All the Beautiful Girls”- Maurice Burkhart ● https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=JCRZ 8 HA 5 w-M ● Prohibition would popularize Jazz throughout the country.
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