Prohibition Hubbard 2005 Ban the Booze Prohibition movement

Prohibition Hubbard 2005

Ban the Booze! • Prohibition movement– (1880 s – 1910 s) –Wanted to Prohibit all alcohol.

Cut down on the Booze! • Movement to ban alcohol began as the Temperance movement (1830 -1880’s) – Called for moderation

Why? • Temperance and Prohibition supporters believed alcohol caused: – Unemployment – Poverty – Crime – Domestic violence

th 18 Amendment • Prohibition movement lead to the passage of the 18 th Amendment (Jan. 1920) – Outlawed the production, sales, and consumption of alcohol in all of its intoxicating forms.

Volstead Act – Volstead Act (A. K. A. The National Prohibition Act) gave enforcement powers to the Federal Government. (Police Powers) – U. S. Treasury Department was to enforce the law.

th 16 Amendment • Created an Income Tax for all citizens. – Nearly 80% of government internal revenue came from Alcohol Excise Taxes before 16 th Amendment. – Removed the need for Taxing Alcohol by the government.

• How did the passage of the 18 th Amendment and the Volstead Act change the role of the Federal government?

Volstead Act Results • Volstead Act resulted in huge increase in Federal Power. –Prohibition was still hard to enforce.

Speakeasies and Blind Pigs • Illegal bars • 32, 000 in NYC alone! • 25, 000 in Detroit – Blossom Heath in St. Clair Shores, an example. • Kept secret from the police, T-men, and Gmen.

Bootlegging and Smuggling • Bootlegging – illegal production of alcohol • Smuggling – illegal importation of alcohol –Whiskey and Beer – Canada –Rum – Caribbean

Huge Profits! • Huge Profits were made by Rumrunners (Smugglers) and bootleggers. – Both the Kennedy family and the Bush family have been linked to this. • Speakeasies and Blind Pigs also made money.

Organized Crime! • Organized Crime grew as the “Big Business” of illegal alcohol trade. Al Capone – Scarface – Chicago Gangster who profited from Prohibition. Purple Gang – Detroit (Polish/Jewish) Mafia – Was feared by Capone, who purchased liquor from them.

• Why was the 18 th Amendment repealed?

In the End… • Prohibition was the most ignored law in American History. –“Morality Cannot be Legislated”

Prohibition Repealed! • 21 st Amendment – 1933 –Repealed the th 18 Amendment! –No More Prohibition!