Prohibition in the USA in 1919

Prohibition in the USA in 1919

Prohibition was introduced in 1919; however it is impossible to find

one simple reason for why it was introduced. It was not a new idea as

the movement had already begun in 1830. By 1914 over half of America's

states were 'dry'. At one minute past midnight on January 16th 1920

the law against the sale and transportation of alcohol in America

became law; however in 1917 the law had been passed by congress due to

the eighteenth amendment but was not put into action. The National

Prohibition Act, or the Volstead Act, as it was called because of its

author, Andrew J. Volstead, was put into effect. It laid down

guidelines for the enforcement of the prohibition laws and clarified

that anything that contained over 0.5% alcohol was now a liquor and

illegal. The government had the ability to prosecute violators of

Prohibition. The law carried heavy penalties; fines of up to $1000

were imposed on those defying the Volstead Act. Those who could not

afford to pay, had to spent six months in jail. Exceptions were made

for alcohol used for medicinal and industrial uses.

America, in 1919, was a very different country compared to what it is

today. Crime rates were extremely high and hundreds of thousands of

immigrants flocked to the USA in search of job opportunities and with

the hope of a new life. However many of the immigrants were Catholics

and came from southern and eastern Europe, and brought with them many

new modern ideas, different languages and cultures. This was seen as a

threat to the traditional ways of America. With the increase in

foreigners, ghettos began to form, which encouraged extreme racial

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... Prohibition. People naively believed that the Prohibition of alcohol

would reduce and prevent crime and violence on the streets of America.

Alcohol mainly affected the lives of women and most frowned upon the

drink, so organisations, such as The ASL and the WCTU became widely

supported and gained a lot of publicity. Religious groups supported

these organisations and had a lot of influence on people's beliefs.

Eventually the act was passed, the campaign had been successful. The

streets of New York were going to be safe to walk at night and free

from crime. Families would have more money, which meant everyone could

have enough to eat. People looked forward to a better future, without

alcohol, however some were far from pleased and it angered many

ordinary people who felt they were doing nothing wrong by having a

drink.