Prohibition in the United States - 764 Words

Prohibition in the United States was a built up reaction to alcohol and illicit drugs from the Temperance and other religious organizations beginning in the 1840s and intensifying during the Reconstruction Period. By using increasing pressure on legislators, lobbying through Churches and, of course, embarrassing public officials into a stance, these organizations forced the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in January 1919. This law prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States (Prohibition Wins in Senate). Congress also passed the Volstead Act in October 1919, a way to enforce the law. Ironically, this became a public debate and conundrum because most large cities had neither the interest nor the manpower to enforce the law. In some areas, alcohol consumption did decline, but in urban areas there was a backlash of increased organized crime, and rather than government receiving taxes from legitimate businesses, it was crime monopolies that profited from this cash crop. (Blocker). Fiorello LaGuardia was a New Deal Republican, a man who supported President Franklin Roosevelt and who used that support to help change New York City, to cut off patronage from the Tammany system, and to revitalize New York City, restore public faith, unify the transit system, built low-cost public housing, playgrounds and parks; put money intoShow MoreRelatedProhibition in the United States909 Words   |  4 Pagesday 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. At the time, the top Prohibitionist in Congress stated: â€Å"There is as much chance as repealing the Eighteenth Amendment as there is for a hummingbirdRead MoreProhibition Of The United States1912 Words à ‚  |  8 PagesKlintworth Prohibition in the United States â€Å"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man s appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes.† Even though Abraham Lincoln lived about a half-century before Prohibition took effect in the 1920s, he described it quite well. The legislation essentially took alcohol, which had been a part of people’s lives since history of cultures were reported and made it illegal overnight. While Prohibition didRead MoreProhibition Of The United States777 Words   |  4 PagesResponse Prohibition in the United States occurred as a result of the Eighteenth Amendment, which was passed on January 17th, 1920. Prohibitions lasted approximately 13 years and ended with the ratifications of the Twenty-First Amendment which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 5th, 1933. Prohibitions did not yield any benefits for the average American, in fact I believe it hindered both men and women in economic, political and social ways. The main proponents of Prohibition were womenRead MoreEssay on Prohibition in the United States1500 Words   |  6 PagesProhibition created more crime because it was leading to corruption and the â€Å"cure† was worse than the original problem (Sifakis 725). The number of crimes increased during the Prohibition which caused organized crime to be very â€Å"popular†. Many criminal groups had a regular income of money through illegal actions such as drinking and selling alcohol (Organized Crime and Prohibition 1). Alcohol increased the organized crimes during Prohibition through loopholes in the 18th Amendment, speakeasiesRead MoreProhibition And Its Effects On The United States1661 Words   |  7 PagesWhen personal choice is withdrawn from individuals and prohibition is implemented to control natural human behavior, the hypocrisy that many preach the United States as being a free society and a nation of tolerance seems to deteriorate when politicians see any opp ortunity to capitalize on the masses without regard. Yet even after alcohol prohibition and fighting an endless war on drugs, history still repeats itself over and over again while the taxpayer is left with the bill. Responsible and recreationalRead MoreEffects Of Prohibition On The United States1272 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States has been actively engaged in a ‘war’ for nearly 25 years. At the heart of this struggle is the fundamental question: Is this a battle the United States can win? Many sources, such as whitehouse.gov, make the claim that drug laws are working Instead, it has created a military police force, reinforced a violent black market, discouraged safe drug usage, and done little to actually reduce drug use. In order to reduce these problems as much as possible, the United States hasRead MoreThe Prohibition Of Marijuana And The United States1559 Words   |  7 Pagesacross the U.S. during the 1900’s and has remained illegal ever si nce, until recent years when states began legalizing it (huffpost.com). Although many people believe that the reason behind the prohibition of cannabis was based on genuine concern for the possible consequences it may have on the well-being of people if it remained accessible to all, the truth is that the drive behind the U.S.’s prohibition of cannabis was founded on racism. During the early 1900’s cannabis was considered an â€Å"ethnicRead MoreThe Drug Prohibition Of The United States Of America1629 Words   |  7 PagesThe cohorts of drug prohibition argue that the benefits of the prohibition are self-evident and undeniable. The basis of this assumption argument is that without prohibition the consumption of drug would skyrocket, and therefore, lead to disastrous outcomes. However, there is no evidence on the commonly held belief. The empirical evidence that exists does not support the notion of souring drug consumption. For instance, in the Netherland and Switzer land, where marijuana is legalized, the consumptionRead MoreWhy The Prohibition Is The Era Of The United States852 Words   |  4 PagesOn January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment to the constitution of the United States of America took effect. The 18th Amendment had been ratified a year earlier, banning â€Å"the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors†(Okrent, 1) within the United States and its territories. This new decade is called the Prohibition. The prohibition is the era of bizarre and engaging images of speakeasies, intoxicated flappers dancing the Charleston, bootleggers, and mobsters protecting illegal tradesRead MoreEssay about Prohibition in the United States1865 Words   |  8 PagesProhibition in the United States There was once a time when an individual could not sit down and have a beer or mixed alcoholic drink legally after a long days work. At this time our American Government felt we needed to reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, imported, exported and sold intoxicating liquor. This was called Prohibition. By the 1820s people in the United States were drinking an average of 27 liters (7 gallons) of