History Of Prohibition And The Development Of The Sport NASCAR

1493 Words3 Pages

Prohibition, and the development of the sport NASCAR
NASCAR wasn’t always one of America’s favorite things to watch or a multimillion-dollar sport. It was actually inspired by criminal activity during the twentieth century. How racecars became part of American life goes back to the early days of prohibition and how gangsters avoided the law. During this time temperance organizations wanted to restrict or abolish the consumption of alcoholic beverages. By the early 20th century, women’s groups throughout the country viewed the sale and consumption of liquor was disrupting family life, and destroying marriages. The “Anti-Saloon League”, established in 1893, led a wave of protests in 1906 against “saloon” culture. The league had support from factory owners and managers who thought that the consumption of liquor lead to problems of work performance and job safety. This encouraged president Woodrow Wilson to issue a temporary prohibition order in 1917, after World War I. Later that year, Congress submitted a bill banning the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. This bill became the 18th Amendment and was ratified on January 29, 1919. It went into effect in during the start of the year 1920. Congress also passed the National Prohibition Act in 1919. This was known as the Volstead Act, named after the famous Mississippi representative Andrew Volstead. This bill provided federal enforcement guidelines of Prohibition. Because of the eighteenth amendment there was a increase of the illegal transportation of alcohol. Many early race drivers were involved in bootlegging and other illegal activities. The runners of the alcohol would modify their cars in order to create a faster, more maneuverable vehicle to evade capture from the ...

... middle of paper ...

...e sport's highest level of professional competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. Since 2001, the Sprint Cup season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. The 2013 Sprint Cup Series Champion is Jimmie Johnson, who also won 5 consecutive Sprint Cup Series drivers' championships from 2006–2010.
The international sport of NAASCAR started from the illegal bootlegging of alcohol but it has grown to be one of the most beloved sports ever. It has many fans spread throughout the globe. It has had several rule changes and scandals that has lead it to become the great sport it is today. With the continuing advancing technology NASCAR will not only improve but will become the number one entertainment for the new world. Although NASCAR has had rough times It is rapidly becoming the most watched and entertaining sport televised ever.

Open Document