The Reasons for Repealment of Prohibition

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The Reasons for Repealment of Prohibition Prohibition was the banning of alcohol, in America. This banning was the 18th Amendment, and it was known also as the Volstead Act. The Act was brought into effect at midnight of January 16th. Prohibition was supposed to be reducing the amount of violent crime in America and increase its prosperity in the long term, but in December 1933, it was repealed. It was repealed for many reasons, including, some members of the public as well as some of its supporters. It cost a lot of money to enforce and still organised and violent crime had grown. The majority of the public had a lack of belief that prohibition was working. This was important, because if all people had supported prohibition, then it may have worked and there would have been no need to get the Volstead act repealed. In the short-term, it had increased the wealth of the United States. Many people still wanted to dink, and would like to get hold of some alcohol which Prohibition had banned. This linked to the fact that organised crime was on the increase, because, gang that were willing to break the law, saw the opportunity, and were willing to supply the public demand - illegally. This was a social factor. The gangsters often came from poor immigrant backgrounds, and were ruthless. The most powerful, and well known were: - O'Bannion, Moran, Luciano, and Capone. Their gangs were always at war, competing to gain control of the liquor. As people were always wanting to drink, this was a long-term factor in the repeal of prohibition, and the demand for drink was great, and people would pay a lot so that they could get their drink. To supply the alcohol to the public more efficiently, illegal drinking saloons were set up. Saloons had long been campaigned against by such groups as the WCTU, and the Anti Saloon league, who were for prohibition at the beginning. This was a long term factor in the repeal of prohibition, because these were groups that had been against

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