Colegiul National Mircea cel Batran

( 1920 - 1933 )

Adviser: Irina IritoiuStudent: Badescu Alexandru

ContentI. General facts about prohibition................................................. 3II. Prohibition around the world.................................................... 4III. American Prohibition................................................................ 12IV. Start of National Prohibition( 1920 ).......................................... 13V. Unpopularity of prohibition and repeal movement..................... 14VI. Repeal..................................................................................... 16VII. Post-Repeal............................................................................. 17VIII. Effects of Prohibition............................................................... 18IX. Boardwalk Empire ( Tv show inspired from Prohibition).......... 22X. Conclusion............................................................................... 23XI. Bibliography............................................................................ 24

I. General facts about prohibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply asprohibition, is the legal act of prohibiting the manufacture, storage, transportation and sale ofalcoholandalcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the prohibition of alcohol was enforced.HistoryThe earliest records of prohibition of alcohol date back to theXia Dynasty(ca. 2070 BCca. 1600 BC) in China.Yu the Great, the first ruler of the Xia Dynasty, prohibited alcohol throughout the kingdom. It was legalized again after his death, during the reign of his sonQi.

The Drunkard's Progress: A lithograph by Nathaniel Curriersupporting the temperance movement, January 1846In the early twentieth century, much of the impetus for the prohibition movement in the Nordic countries and North America came from moralistic convictions of pietistic Protestants. Prohibition movements in the West coincided with the advent ofwomens suffrage, with newly empowered women as part of the political process strongly supporting policies that curbed alcoholconsumption.The first half of the 20th century saw periods of prohibition of alcoholic beverages in several countries: 1907 to 1948 inPrince Edward Island, and for shorter periods in other provincesin Canada 1907 to 1992 inFaroe Islands; limited private imports from Denmark were allowed from 1928 1914 to 1925 inRussia and the Soviet Union 1915 to 1933 inIceland(beer was still prohibited until 1989) 1916 to 1927 inNorway(fortified wine and beer also prohibited from 1917 to 1923) 1919 inHungary(in theHungarian Soviet Republic, March 21 to August 1; calledszesztilalom) 1919 to 1932 inFinland(calledkieltolaki, ban law) 1920 to 1933 inthe United StatesAfter several years, prohibition became a failure in North America and elsewhere, asbootlegging (rum-running)became widespread andorganized crimetook control of the distribution of alcohol. Distilleries and breweries inCanada,Mexicoand theCaribbeanflourished as their products were either consumed by visiting Americans or illegally exported to the United States.Chicagobecame notorious as a haven for prohibition dodgers during the time known as theRoaring Twenties. Prohibition generally came to an end in the late 1920s or early 1930s in most of North America and Europe, although a few locations continued prohibition for many more years.

II. Prohibition around the worldAsia

BangladeshInBangladesh, alcohol is strictly prohibited due to itsproscription in the Islamic faith. However, the purchase and consumption is allowed for non-Muslims in the country such as theGarotribe who consume a type of rice beer. Additionally, Christians drink and purchase alcohol for theirholy communion.BruneiInBrunei, alcohol consumption in public and sale of alcohol is banned. Non-Muslims are allowed to purchase a limited amount of alcohol from their point of embarkation overseas for their own private consumption, and non-Muslims who are at least the age of 18 are allowed to bring in not more than two bottles of liquor (about two quarts) and twelve cans of beer per person into the country.IndiaIn some states ofIndia, alcoholic drinks are banned, for example the states ofGujarat,NagalandandMizoram. Certain national holidays such as Independence Day andGandhi Jayanti(birthdate ofMahatma Gandhi) are meant to bedry daysnationally. The state ofAndhra Pradeshhad imposed Prohibition under the Chief Ministership ofN. T. Rama Raobut this was thereafter lifted. Dry days are also observed on voting days. Prohibition was also observed from 1996 to 1998 inHaryana. Prohibition has become controversial in Gujarat following aJuly 2009 episodein which widespread poisoning resulted from alcohol that had been sold illegally.All of the Indian states observe dry days on major religious festivals/occasions depending on the popularity of the festival in that region. These dry days are observed to maintain peace and order during the festival days.MaldivesTheMaldivesban the import of alcohol, x-raying all baggage on arrival. Alcoholic beverages are available only to foreign tourists on resort islands and may not be taken off the resort.PakistanPakistanallowed the free sale and consumption of alcohol for three decades from 1947, but restrictions were introduced byZulfikar Ali Bhuttojust weeks before he was removed as prime minister in 1977. Since then, only members of non-Muslim minorities such asHindus,ChristiansandZoroastriansare allowed to apply for alcohol permits. The monthly quota is dependent upon ones income, but usually is about five bottles of liquor or 100 bottles of beer. In a country of 180 million, only about 60 outlets are allowed to sell alcohol. TheMurree BreweryinRawalpindiwas once the only legal brewery, but today there are more. The ban officially is enforced by the countrys Islamic Ideology Council, but it is not strictly policed. Members of religious minorities, however, often sell their liquor permits to Muslims as part of a continuing black market trade in alcohol.PhilippinesAlcohol is prohibited to be bought two days prior to an election. TheCommission on Electionsmay opt to extend the period of time of the liquor ban. In the2010 elections, the liquor ban was on a minimum two days; in the2013 elections, it was extended to five days.Other than election-related prohibition, alcohol is freely sold to anyone above thelegal drinking age.West AsiaNumerous countries in West Asia including Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabiaand Kuwait ban alcohol, ranking them low onalcohol consumption per capita, only small quantities are available on the black market.

Europe

Czech RepublicOn 14 September 2012, the government of theCzech Republicbanned all sales of liquor with more than 20% alcohol. From this date on it was illegal to sell (and/or offer for sale) such alcoholic beverages in shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, gas stations, e-shops etc. This measure was taken in response to the wave ofmethanol poisoningcases resulting in the deaths of 18 people in the Czech Republic.Since the beginning of the methanol affair the total number of deaths has increased to 25. The ban was to be valid until further notice,though restrictions were eased towards the end of September.The last bans on Czech alcohol with regard to the poisoning cases were lifted on 10 October 2012, when neighbouring Slovakia and Poland allowed its import once again.Nordic countriesTheNordic countries, with the exception ofDenmark, have had a strongtemperance movementsince the late 1800s, closely linked to theChristian revivalmovement of the late 19th century, but also to several worker organisations. As an example, in 1910 the temperance organisations in Sweden had some 330,000 members,which was 6% of a population of 5.5 million. Naturally, this heavily influenced the decisions of Nordic politicians in the early 20th century.Already in 1907, theFaroe Islandspassed a law prohibiting all sale of alcohol, which was in force until 1992. However, very restricted private importation from Denmark was allowed from 1928.In 1914,Swedenput in place a rationing system, theBratt System, in force until 1955. However areferendum in 1922rejected an attempt to enforce total prohibition.In 1915,Icelandinstituted total prohibition. The ban for wine and spirits was lifted in 1935, but beer remained prohibited until 1989.In 1916,Norwayprohibiteddistilled beverages, and in 1917 the prohibition was extended to also includefortified wineand beer. The wine and beer ban was lifted in 1923, and in 1927 the ban of distilled beverages was also lifted.In 1919,Finlandenacted prohibition, as one of the first acts after independence from theRussian Empire. Four previous attempts to institute prohibition in the early 20th century had failed due to opposition from thetsar. After a development similar to the one in the United States during its prohibition, with large-scalesmugglingand increasing violence and crime rates, public opinion turned against the prohibition, and after a nationalreferendumwhere 70% voted for a repeal of the law, prohibition was ended in early 1932.Today, all Nordic countries (with the exception of Denmark) continue to have strict controls on the sale of alcohol which is highly taxed (dutied) to the public. There aregovernment monopoliesin place for selling spirits, wine and stronger beers inNorway(Vinmonopolet),Sweden(Systembolaget),Iceland(Vnbin), theFaroe Islands(Rsdrekkasla landsins) andFinland(Alko). Bars and restaurants may, however, import alcoholic beverages directly or through other companies.Greenland, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark does not share its easier controls on the sale of alcohol.Soviet UnionIn theRussian Empire, a limited version of a Dry Law was introduced in 1914. It continued through the turmoil of theRussian Revolution of 1917and theRussian Civil Warinto the period ofSoviet Russiaand theSoviet Unionuntil 1925.United KingdomAlthough the sale or consumption of commercial alcohol has never been prohibited by law, historically various groups in the UK have campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol, including theSociety of Friends(Quakers),The Methodist Churchand othernon-conformistChristians, as well as temperance movements such asBand of Hopeandtemperance Chartistmovements of the 19th century.In 1853, inspired by theMaine lawin the USA, theUnited Kingdom Allianceled byJohn Bartholomew Goughwas formed aimed at promoting a similar law prohibiting the sale of alcohol in the UK. This hard-line group of prohibitionists was opposed by other temperance organisations who preferred moral persuasion to a legal ban. This division in the ranks limited the effectiveness of the temperance movement as a whole. The impotence of legislation in this field was demonstrated when theSale of Beer Act 1854which restricted Sunday opening hours had to be repealed, following widespread rioting. In 1859 a prototype prohibition bill was overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Commons.

North America

Canada

A police raid confiscating illegal alcohol, inElk Lake, Canada, in 1925.An official, but non-binding, federal referendum on prohibition was held in 1898. Prime Minister Wilfrid Lauriers government chose not to introduce a federal bill on prohibition, mindful of the strong antipathy in Quebec. As a result, Canadian prohibition was instead enacted through laws passed by the provinces during the first twenty years of the 20th century. The provinces repealed their prohibition laws, mostly during the 1920s.MexicoZapatista Communitiesoften ban alcohol as part of a collective decision. This has been used by many villages as a way to decrease domestic violence and has generally been favored by women. However, this is not recognized by federal Mexican law as theZapatistamovement is strongly opposed by the federal government.The sale and purchase of alcohol is prohibited on and the night before certain national holidays, such asNatalicio de Benito Jurez(birthdate ofBenito Jurez) andDa de la Revolucin, which are meant to be dry nationally. The same dry law applies to the days before presidential elections every six years.

United States

Prohibition in the United States focused on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages; however, exceptions were made for medicinal and religious uses. Alcohol consumption was never illegal under federal law. Nationwide prohibition did not begin in the United States until 1920, when theEighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitutionwent into effect, and was repealed in 1933, with the ratification of theTwenty-first Amendment.

This illustration from the Hawaiian Gazette newspaper humorously illustrates theAnti-Saloon Leagueand theWomen's Christian Temperance Union's campaign against the producers and sellers of beers in Hawaii.Concern over excessive alcohol consumption began during the American colonial era, when fines were imposed for drunken behavior and for selling liquor without a license. In the eighteenth century, when drinking was a part of everyday American life,Protestantreligious groups, especially theMethodists, and health reformers, includingBenjamin Rushand others, urged Americans to curb their drinking habits for moral and health reasons. By the 1840s thetemperance movementwas actively encouraging individuals to reduce alcohol consumption. Many took a pledge of total abstinence (teetotalism) from drinking distilled liquor as well as beer and wine. Prohibition remained a major reform movement from the 1840s until the 1920s, when nationwide prohibition went into effect, and was supported by evangelical Protestant churches, especially theMethodists,Baptists,Presbyterians,Disciples of Christ, andCongregationalists.KansasandMainewere early adopters of statewide prohibition. Following passage of theMaine law,Delaware,Ohio,Illinois,Rhode Island,Minnesota,Massachusetts,Connecticut,Pennsylvania, andNew York, among others, soon passed statewide prohibition legislation; however, a number of these laws were overturned.As temperance groups continued to promote prohibition, other groups opposed increased alcohol restrictions. For example, Chicagos citizens fought against enforcing Sunday closings laws in the 1850s, which included mob violence. It was also during this time whenpatent medicines, many of which contained alcohol, gained popularity. During theAmerican Civil Warefforts at increasing federal revenue included imposition of taxes on liquor and beer. The liquor industry responded to the taxes by forming an industry lobby, theUnited States Brewers Association, that succeeded in reducing the tax rate on beer from $1 to 60 cents. The Womens Crusade of 1873 and theWomens Christian Temperance Union(WCTU), founded in 1874, marked the formal entrance of women into the temperance movement. The WCTU and theProhibition Party, organized in 1869, remained major players in the temperance movement until the early twentieth century, when theAnti-Saloon League, formed in 1895, emerged as the movements leader.Between 1880 and 1890, although several states enacted local option laws that allowed counties or towns to go dry by referendum, only six states had statewide prohibition by state statute or constitutional amendment. The League, with the support of evangelical Protestant churches including theEpiscopaliansandLutherans, and otherProgressive-erareformers continued to press for prohibition legislation. Opposition to prohibition was strong in Americas urban industrial centers, where a large, immigrant, working-class population generally opposed it, as did Jewish and Catholic religious groups. In the years leading up toWorld War I, nativism, American patriotism, distrust of immigrants, and anti-German sentiment became associated with the prohibition movement. Through the use of pressure politics on legislators, the League and other temperance reformers achieved the goal of nationwide prohibition by emphasizing the need to destroy the moral corruption of the saloons and the political power of the brewing industry, and to reduce domestic violence in the home. By 1913 nine states had stateside prohibition and thirty-one others had local option laws in effect, which included nearly fifty percent of theU.S. population. At that time the League and other reformers turned their efforts toward attaining a constitutional amendment and grassroots support for nationwide prohibition.In December 1917, after two previous attempts had failed (one in 1913; the other in 1915), Congress approved a resolution to submit a constitutional amendment on nationwide prohibition to the states for ratification.The new constitutional amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes. On January 8, 1918,Mississippibecame the first state to ratify the amendment, and on January 16, 1919, Nebraska became the thirty-sixth state to ratify it, assuring is passage into federal law. On October 28, 1919, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act, also known as theVolstead Act, which provided enabling legislation to implement the Eighteenth Amendment. Congress ratified theEighteenth Amendmenton January 16, 1919, and nationwide prohibition began on January 17, 1920.During the first years of Prohibition, the new federal law was enforced in regions such as the rural South and western states, where it had popular support; however, in large urban cities and in small industrial or mining towns, residents defied or ignored the law. Weak enforcement of the Volstead Act was compounded by an ineffective, undermanned, and underfunded agency called the Prohibition Bureau. Although alcohol consumption declined as a whole, there was a rise in alcohol consumption in many cities, along with significant increases in organized crime related to its production and distribution. Sale of alcoholic beverages remained illegal during Prohibition, but alcoholic drinks were still available. Large quantities of alcohol were smuggled into the United States fromCanada, over land, by sea routes along both ocean coasts, and through theGreat Lakes. While the federal government cracked down on alcohol consumption on land within the United States, it was a different story along the U.S. coastlines, where vessels outside the 3-mile limit were exempt. In addition, home brewing was popular during Prohibition. Malt and hops stores popped up across the country and some former breweries turned to selling malt extract syrup, ostensibly for baking and beverage purposes.Prohibition became increasingly unpopular during theGreat Depression. Some believe that the demand for increased employment and tax revenues during this time brought an end to Prohibition. Others argue it was the result the economic motivations of American businessmen as well as the stress and excesses of the era that kept it from surviving, even under optimal economic conditions.

South America

VenezuelaInVenezuela, twenty hours before every election, the government prohibits the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages throughout the national territory also including the restriction to all dealers, liquor stores, supermarkets, restaurants, wineries, pubs, bars, public entertainment, clubs and any establishment which markets alcoholic beverages. This is done to prevent violent alcohol induced confrontations because of the high political polarization. The same is done during the holy week as a measure to reduce the alarming rate of road traffic accidents during these holidays, since Venezuelans have a tendency to drink and drive.

Oceania

Australia

The first consignment of liquorCanberra, Australian Capital Territory, following the repeal of prohibition laws in 1928.InMelbourne,Victoriain the late 1920s, thetemperance movementdrove suburban councils to hold polls and the residents of some of these municipalities voted for the creation of a dry area. This prohibited the granting of a liquor licence without a formal vote of approval by local residents. These areas continue to this day in the suburbs ofCamberwellandBox Hill. Polls have been held since, however the majority of voters continue to support the restrictions on liquor licences.More recently alcohol has been prohibited in many remoteindigenouscommunities. Penalties for transporting alcohol into these dry communities are severe and can result in confiscation of any vehicles involved; in dry areas within theNorthern Territory, all vehicles used to transport alcohol are seized.Because alcohol consumption has been linked to violent behaviour in some individuals, some communities sought a safer alternative in substances such askava, especially in the Northern Territory. Over-indulgence in kava causes sleepiness, rather than the violence that can result from over-indulgence in alcohol. These and other measures to counter alcohol abuse met with variable success. Some communities saw decreased social problems and others did not. The ANCD study notes that, to be effective, programs must address ...the underlying structural determinants that have a significant impact on alcohol and drug misuse. The Federal government banned kava imports into the Northern Territory in 2007.New ZealandInNew Zealand, prohibition was a moralistic reform movement begun in the mid-1880s by the Protestant evangelical and Nonconformist churches and theWomans Christian Temperance Unionand after 1890 by the Prohibition League. It never achieved its goal of national prohibition; the effort to legislate morality assumed that individual redemption was all that was needed to carry the colony forward from a pioneering society to a more mature one. However, both the Church of England and the largely Irish Catholic Church rejected prohibition as an intrusion of government into the churchs domain, while the growing labor movement saw capitalism rather than alcohol as the enemy.Reformers hoped that the womens vote, in which New Zealand was a pioneer, would swing the balance, but the women were not as well organized as in other countries. Prohibition had a majority in a national referendum in 1911, but needed a 60% vote to pass. The movement kept trying in the 1920s, losing three more referenda by close votes; it managed to keep in place a6pm closing hourfor pubs and Sunday closing. The Depression and war years effectively ended the movement.

III. American Prohibition

Detroitpolice inspecting equipment found in a clandestine brewery during the Prohibition eraProhibition in the United Stateswas a nationwide ban on the sale, production, importation, and transportation ofalcoholic beveragesthat remained in place from 1920 to 1933.The dry movement, led by rural Protestants and socialProgressivesin the Democratic and Republican parties, was coordinated by theAnti-Saloon League.Prohibitionwas mandated under theEighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Enabling legislation, known as theVolstead Act, set down the rules for enforcing the ban and defined the types of alcoholic beverages that were prohibited. Private ownership and consumption of alcohol was not made illegal under federal law; however, in many areas local laws were more strict, with some states banning possession outright. Nationwide Prohibition ended with the ratification of theTwenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, on December 5, 1933.In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the introduction of alcohol prohibition and its subsequent enforcement in law was a hotly-debated issue. Prohibition supporters, called drys, presented it as a victory for public morals and health. Anti-prohibitionists, known as wets, criticized the alcohol ban as an intrusion of mainly rural Protestant ideals on a central aspect of urban, immigrant, and Catholic life. When federal prohibition legislation was passed, effective enforcement of the ban during the Prohibition Era proved difficult and the law was widely flouted. Without a solid popular consensus for its enforcement, Prohibition led to some unintended consequences and its ultimate repeal in 1933: the growth of criminal organizations, including the modernAmerican Mafiaand various other criminal groups, disregard of federal law, and corruption among some politicians and within law enforcement. Despite these criticisms, overall consumption of alcohol halved during the 1920s and remained below pre-Prohibition levels until the 1940s.

IV. Start of National Prohibition ( 1920 )Prohibition began on January 17, 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect. A total of 1,520 Federal Prohibition agents (police) were given the task of enforcing the law.Although it was highly controversial, Prohibition received support among diverse groups. Progressives believed Prohibition would improve society, as generally did women, southerners, those living in rural areas, and African Americans. However, a few exceptionssuch as the Womans Organization for Prohibition Reformopposed it. American humoristWill Rogersjoked about southern prohibitionists: The South is dry and will vote dry. That is, everybody sober enough to stagger to the polls. Supporters of the Amendment soon became confident that it would not be repealed. One of its creators, SenatorMorris Sheppard, joked that there is as much chance of repealing the Eighteenth Amendment as there is for a humming-bird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail.At the same time, songs emerged decrying the act. AfterEdward, Prince of Wales, returned to the United Kingdom following his tour of Canada in 1919, he recounted to his father, KingGeorge V, a ditty he had heard at a border town:Four and twenty Yankees, feeling very dry,Went across the border to get a drink of rye.When the rye was opened, the Yanks began to sing,God bless America, but God save the King!Prohibition became highly controversial among medical professionals, because alcohol was widely prescribed by the eras physicians for therapeutic purposes. Congress held hearings on the medicinal value of beer in 1921. Subsequently, physicians across the country lobbied for the repeal of Prohibition as it applied to medicinal liquors.While the manufacture, importation, sale, and transport of alcohol was illegal in the United States, Section 29 of the Volstead Act allowed of wine and cider to be made from fruit at home, but not beer. Up to 200 gallons of wine and cider per year could be made, and somevineyardsgrew grapes for home use. The Act did not prohibit consumption of alcohol. Many people stockpiled wines and liquors for their personal use in the latter part of 1919 before sales of alcoholic beverages became illegal in January 1920.

Orange County (California) sheriff's deputies dumping illegal alcohol, 1932Prohibition in the United States did not apply in neighboring countries, where alcoholic drinks were not illegal. Distilleries and breweries in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean flourished as their products were either consumed by visiting Americans or smuggled into the United States illegally. TheDetroit River, which forms part of the U.S. border with Canada, was notoriously difficult to control, especiallyrum-running in Windsor, Canada. When the U.S. government complained to the British that American law was being undermined by officials inNassau, Bahamas, the head of theBritish Colonial Officerefused to intervene.[40]Winston Churchillbelieved that Prohibition was an affront to the whole history of mankind.[41]During the time known as the Roaring Twenties,Chicagobecame a haven for Prohibition dodgers. Many of Chicagos most notorious gangsters, includingAl Caponeand his enemyBugs Moran, made millions of dollars through illegal alcohol sales. By the end of the decade Capone controlled 10,000speakeasiesin Chicago and ruled thebootleggingbusiness from Canada toFlorida. Numerous other crimes, including theft and murder, were directly linked to criminal activities in Chicago and elsewhere in violation of Prohibition. Three federal agencies were assigned the task of enforcing the Volstead Act: the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement,the U.S. Treasury Departments IRS Bureau of Prohibition,and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Prohibition.

V. Unpopularity of prohibition and repeal movement

As early as 1925, journalistH. L. Menckenbelieved that Prohibition was not working.As the prohibition years continued, more of the countrys populace came to see prohibition as illustrative of class distinctions, a law unfairly biased in its administration favoring social elites. Prohibition worked best when directed at its primary target: the working-class poor.Historian Lizabeth Cohen writes: A rich family could have a cellar-full of liquor and get by, it seemed, but if a poor family had one bottle of home-brew, there would be trouble. Working-class people were inflamed by the fact that their employers could dip into a cache of private stock while they, the employees, were denied a similar indulgence. Before the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect in January 1920, many of the upper classes stockpiled alcohol for legal home consumption after Prohibition began. They bought the inventories of liquor retailers and wholesalers, emptying out their warehouses, saloons, and club storerooms. American lawmakers followed these practices at the highest levels of government. President Woodrow Wilson moved his own supply of alcoholic beverages to his Washington residence after his term of office ended. His successor,Warren G. Harding, relocated his own large supply into the White House after Removal of liquor during prohibitioninauguration. In October 1930, just two weeks before the congressional midterm elections, bootleggerGeorge Cassidaythe man in the green hatcame forward and told how he had bootlegged for ten years for members of Congress. One of the few bootleggers ever to tell his story, Cassiday wrote five, front-page articles forThe Washington Post. He estimated that eighty percent of congressmen and senators drank, even though they were the ones passing dry laws. This had a significant impact on the midterm election, which saw Congress shift from a dry Republican majority to a wet Democratic majority, who understood that Prohibition was unpopular and called for its repeal.As Prohibition became increasingly unpopular, especially in urban areas, its repeal was eagerly anticipated. Economic urgency played no small part in accelerating the advocacy for repeal. Prior to 1920 the implementation of the Volstead Act, approximately fourteen percent of federal, state, and local tax revenues were derived from alcohol commerce. The government needed this income and also felt that reinstating the manufacture and sale of alcohol would create desperately-needed jobs for the unemployed. On March 22, 1933, PresidentFranklin Rooseveltsigned an amendment to the Volstead Act, known as theCullenHarrison Act, allowing the manufacture and sale of 3.2 beer (3.2 percent alcohol by weight, approximately 4 percent alcohol by volume) and light wines. The Volstead Act previously defined an intoxicating beverage as one with greater than 0.5 percent alcohol.Upon signing the CullenHarrison Act, Roosevelt made his famous remark: I think this would be a good time for a beer.The Cullen-Harrison Act became law on April 7, 1933, and the following dayAnheuser-Buschsent a team ofClydesdale horsesto deliver a case of Budweiser beer to theWhite House.

VI. RepealThe Eighteenth Amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933, with ratification of theTwenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Despite the efforts ofHeber J. Grant, president ofThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aUtahconvention helped ratify the Twenty-first Amendment.While Utah can be considered the deciding thirty-sixth state to ratify the Amendment and make it law, bothPennsylvaniaandOhioapproved it the same day that Utah did.One of the main reasons why Prohibition did not proceed smoothly was the inefficient means of enforcing it. From its inception, the Eighteenth Amendment lacked legitimacy in the eyes of the public who had previously been drinkers and law-abiding citizens. In some instances the public viewed Prohibition laws as arbitrary and unnecessary, and therefore were willing to break them. Law enforcement agents found themselves overwhelmed by the rise in illegal, wide-scale distribution of alcohol due to the Volstead Act. The magnitude of their task was not anticipated and law enforcement agencies lacked the resources needed. Additionally, enforcement of the law under the Eighteenth Amendment lacked a centralized authority. Many attempts to impose Prohibition laws were deterred due to the lack of transparency between federal and state authorities. Furthermore, American geography contributed to the difficulties in enforcing Prohibition. The varied terrain of valleys, mountains, lakes, and swamps, as well as the extensive seaways, ports, and borders the United States shared with Canada and Mexico made it exceedingly difficult for Prohibition agents to stop bootleggers given their lack of resources. Ultimately it was recognized with its repeal that the means by which the law was to be enforced was not pragmatic, and in many cases the legislature did not match the general public opinion. Prohibition was a major blow to the alcoholic beverage industry and its repeal was a step toward the amelioration of one sector of the economy. An example of this is the case ofSt. Louis, one of the most important alcohol producers before prohibition started, who was ready to resume its position in the industry as soon as possible. Its major brewery had 50,000 barrels of beer ready for distribution since March 22, 1933, and was the first alcohol producer to resupply the market; others soon followed. After repeal, stores obtained liquor licenses and restocked for business. After beer production resumed, thousands of workers found jobs in the industry again. Prohibition created ablack marketthat competed with the formal economy, which already was under pressure. Roosevelt was elected based on the New Deal, which promised economic improvement that was only possible if the formal economy competed successfully against various economic forces, including the black market. This influenced his support for ratifying the Twenty-first amendment, which repealed the Prohibition.

VII. Post-Repeal

The Twenty-first Amendment does not prevent states from restricting or banning alcohol; instead, it prohibits transportation or importation of alcohol in any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States in violation of the laws thereof, thus allowing state and local control of alcohol. Following repeal of Prohibition, alcohol could be legally sold in some, but not all, townships or counties within a particular state, while other states continued to enforce prohibition laws.Mississippi, which had made alcohol illegal in 1907, was the last state to repeal Prohibition in 1966. Kansasdid not allow sale of liquor by the drink (on-premises) until 1987. There are still numerousdry countiesand townships in the United States that restrict or prohibit liquor sales. Additionally, many tribal governments prohibit alcohol onIndian reservations. Federal law also prohibits alcohol on Indian reservations,although this law is currently only enforced when there is a concomitant violation of local tribal liquor laws.[65]The federal law prohibiting alcohol in Indian country pre-dates the Eighteenth Amendment. No constitutional changes were necessary prior to the passage of this amendment, since Indian reservations andU.S. territorieshave always been considered areas of direct federal jurisdiction.After repeal of Prohibition, some supporters openly admitted its failure.John D. Rockefeller, Jr.Explained his view in a letter written in 1932: When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.It is not clear whether Prohibition reduced per-capita consumption of alcohol. Some historians claim that alcohol consumption in the United States did not exceed pre-Prohibition levels until the 1960s; others claim that alcohol consumption reached the pre-Prohibition levels several years after its enactment, and have continued to rise. Cirrhosis of the liver, normally a result of alcoholism, dropped nearly two thirds during Prohibition.In the decades after Prohibition, Americans shed any stigma they might have had against alcohol consumption. According to aGallup Pollsurvey conducted almost every year since 1939, some two-thirds of American adults age 18 and older drink alcohol.

VIII. Effects of Prohibition

Most economists during the early 20th century were in favor for the enactment of the 18th amendment.Simon Patten, one of the leading advocates for prohibition, predicted that American prohibition would eventually happen for competitive and evolutionary reasons. Economist Irving Fisher was a Yale professor and a dry who wrote extensively about prohibition during the prohibition era. In his paper The Economics of Prohibition, he makes a case for the economic effects of prohibition.Fisher is credited with supplying the criteria for which future prohibitions, such as marijuana prohibition, can be measured. His main points were in relation to crime, health, and most notably productivity. For example, Blue Monday refers to the hangover workers experienced on Mondays due to the weekends being spent on consuming alcohol, resulting in Mondays being a wasted productive day. Makingmoonshinewas an industry in the American South before and after Prohibition. In the 1950smuscle carsbecame popular and various roads became known as Thunder Road for their use by moonshiners. A popularballadwas created and the legendary drivers, cars and routes were depicted on film inThunder Road.

Rates of consumption during Prohibition

Illegal sales are not officially reported or measured, but there are indirect estimates using alcohol related deaths and cirrhosis, a disease linked specifically to ongoing alcohol consumption. Scholars estimate that consumption dropped to a low of about 60% of pre-prohibition levels around 1925, rising to almost 80% before the law was officially repealed.

Organized crime

Organized crime received a major boost from Prohibition.Mafiagroups limited their activities to prostitution, gambling, and theft until 1920, when organized bootleggingemerged in response to Prohibition. A profitable, often violent, black market for alcohol flourished. Powerful criminal organizations corrupted some law enforcement agencies, leading toracketeering.Prohibition provided a financial basis for organized crime to flourish.Rather than reducing crime, Prohibition transformed some cities into battlegrounds between opposing bootlegging gangs.In a study of more than thirty major U.S cities during the Prohibition years of 1920 and 1921, the number of crimes increased by 24 percent. Additionally, theft and burglaries increased by 9 percent, homicides by 12.7 percent, assaults and battery rose by 13 percent, drug addiction by 44.6 percent, and police department costs rose by 11.4 percent. This was largely the result of black-market violence and the diversion of law enforcement resources elsewhere. Despite the Prohibition movements hope that outlawing alcohol would reduce crime, the reality was that theVolstead Actled to higher crime rates than were experienced prior to Prohibition and the establishment of a black market dominated by criminal organizations.Furthermore, stronger liquor surged in popularity because its potency made it more profitable to smuggle. To prevent bootleggers from using industrial ethyl alcohol to produce illegal beverages, the federal government ordered thepoisoning of industrial alcohols. In response, bootleggers hired chemists who successfully renatured the alcohol to make it drinkable. As a response, the Treasury Department required manufacturers to add more deadly poisons, including the particularly deadlymethyl alcohol. New York City medical examiners prominently opposed these policies because of the danger to human life. As many as 10,000 people died from drinking denatured alcohol before Prohibition ended.New York City medical examiner Charles Norris believed the government took responsibility for murder when they knew the poison was not deterring people and they continued to poison industrial alcohol (which would be used in drinking alcohol) anyway. Norris remarked: The government knows it is not stopping drinking by putting poison in alcohol... [Y]et it continues its poisoning processes, heedless of the fact that people determined to drink are daily absorbing that poison. Knowing this to be true, the United States government must be charged with the moral responsibility for the deaths that poisoned liquor causes, although it cannot be held legally responsible.Another lethal substance that was often substituted for alcohol was canned heat, also commonly known asSterno. Forcing the substance through a makeshift filter, such as a handkerchief, created a rough liquor substitute; however, the result was poisonous, though not often lethal. Many of those who were poisoned as a result united to sue the government for reparations after the end of Prohibition.Making alcohol at home was very common during Prohibition. Stores sold grape concentrate with warning labels that listed the steps that should be avoided to prevent the juice from fermenting into wine. Some drugstores sold medical wine with around a 22 percent alcohol content. In order to justify the sale, the wine was given a medicinal taste. Home-distilled hard liquor was called bathtub gin in northern cities, andmoonshinein rural areas ofVirginia,Kentucky,North Carolina,South Carolina,Georgia, andTennessee.Homebrewinggood hard liquor was easier than brewing good beer.Since selling privately distilled alcohol was illegal and bypassed government taxation, law enforcement officers relentlessly pursued manufacturers.In response, bootleggers modified their cars and trucks by enhancing the engines and suspensions to make faster vehicles that, they Al Capone, the Prohibition-era leader oforganized crime in Chicago.presumed, would improve their chances of outrunning and escaping agents of theBureau of Prohibition, commonly called revenue agents or revenuers. These cars became known as moonshine runners orshine runners.Shops were also known to participate in the underground liquor market, by loading their stocks with ingredients for liquors, which anyone could legally purchase (these include: benedictine, vermouth, scotch mash, and even ethyl alcohol).Prohibition also had an effect on the music industry in the United States, specifically withjazz.Speakeasiesbecame far more popular during that time, and the effects of the Great Depression caused a migration that led to a greater dispersal of jazz music. Movement began fromNew Orleansand went north throughChicagoand to New York. This led to the development of different styles in different cities. Because of its popularity in speakeasies and the development of more advanced recording devices, jazz became very popular very quickly. It was also at the forefront of the minimal integration efforts going on at the time, as it united mostly black musicians with mostly white audiences.Along with other economic effects, the enactment and enforcement of Prohibition caused an increase in resource costs. During the 1920s the annual budget of theBureau of Prohibitionwent from $4.4 million to $13.4 million. Additionally, theU.S. Coast Guardspent an average of $13 million annually on enforcement of prohibition laws.These numbers do not take into account the costs to local and state governments.When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, organized crime lost nearly all of itsblack marketprofits from alcohol in most states, because of competition with legal liquor stores selling alcohol at lower prices. (States still retained the right to enforce their own state laws concerning alcohol consumption.)

Other impacts As a result of Prohibition, the advancements ofindustrializationwithin the alcoholic beverage industry were essentially reversed. Large-scale alcohol producers were shut down, for the most part, and some individual citizens took it upon themselves to produce alcohol illegally, essentially reversing the efficiency of mass-producing and retailing alcoholic beverages. Closing the countrys manufacturing plants and taverns also resulted in an economic downturn for the industry. While theEighteenth Amendmentdid not have this effect on the industry due to its failure to define an intoxicating beverage, theVolstead Acts definition of 0.5 percent or more alcohol by volume shut down the brewers, who expected to continue to produce beer of moderate strength.

Men and women drinking beer at a bar inRaceland, Louisiana, September 1938. Pre-Prohibition saloons were mostly male establishments; post-Prohibition bars catered to both males and females.As thesaloonbegan to die out, public drinking lost much of its macho connotation, resulting in increased social acceptance of women drinking in the semi-public environment of thespeakeasies. This new norm established women as a notable new target demographic for alcohol marketeers, who sought to expand their clientele. In 1930 the Prohibition Commissioner estimated that in 1919, the year before the Volstead Act became law, the average drinking American spent $17 per year on alcoholic beverages. By 1930, because enforcement diminished the supply, spending had increased to $35 per year (there was no inflation in this period). The result was an illegal alcohol beverage industry that made an average of $3 billion per year in illegal untaxed income. Heavy drinkers and alcoholics were among the most affected groups during Prohibition. Those who were determined to find liquor could still do so, but those who saw their drinking habits as destructive typically had difficulty in finding the help they sought. Self-help societies had withered away along with the alcohol industry. In 1935 a new self-help group was founded:Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).Prohibition had a notable effect on the alcohol brewing industry in the US. When Prohibition ended, only half the breweries that previously existed reopened. Wine historians note that Prohibition destroyed what was a fledgling wine industry in the United States. Productive, wine-quality grapevines were replaced by lower-quality vines that grew thicker-skinned grapes, which could be more easily transported. Much of the institutional knowledge was also lost as winemakers either emigrated to other wine producing countries or left the business altogether. Distilled spirits became more popular during Prohibition. Because of its higher alcohol content in comparison to fermented wine and beer, it became common to mix and dilute the hard alcohol.

IX. Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empireis an American period drama series from premium cable channelHBO, set inAtlantic City, New Jersey, during theProhibition era. It starsSteve BuscemiasNucky Thompson.Primetime Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producerTerence Wintercreated the show inspired by the bookBoardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic Cityby Nelson Johnson about historical criminal kingpinEnoch L. Johnson.[2]Thepilot episode, directed byMartin Scorsese, was produced at a cost of $18 million. On September 1, 2009, HBO picked up the series for an additional 11episodes. The series premiered on September 19, 2010and completed its fourth season on November 24, 2013. On September 26, 2013, HBO renewedBoardwalk Empirefor a fifth season to air in 2014, which will be its last.[ Boardwalk Empirehas received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its visual style and basis on historical figures, as well as for Buscemi's lead performance.The series has received fortyPrimetime Emmy Awardnominations, including two forOutstanding Drama Series, winning seventeen. The series has also won theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series Dramain 2011 and twoScreen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Seriesin 2011 and 2012.I personally recomend this Tv show, not only for the fact that is linked to prohibition era but also because of the accuracy that Martin Scorsese uses for realising the show. The costumes, the actors, the scene is taking you back to the 20, in the game of mobsters and high stakes, making you fell that this was the way it worked back then. X. ConclusionSo all in all I chose this subject because I like modern history, and also because of the Tv show Boardwalk Empire, which made me to read more and find interest in the Prohibition Era. It was indeed a time when gangsters were running the town with illegal alcoholic beverages, making money, spending on hookers, and threatening the town with their horrific, but glorious mobwars. After all it was proved that in that period alcoholic beverages were consumed in larger quantity than they were legall, also encouraging illegal activites.

XI. Bibliography

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/roots-of-prohibition/http://rowellsapushistory.wikispaces.com/Prohibition+in+the+1920'shttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boardwalk_EmpireJensen, Richard J. (1971).The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896. U of Chicago Press.ISBN9780226398259.full text onlineKyvig; David E.Law, Alcohol, and Order: Perspectives on National Prohibition Greenwood Press, 1985.Sellman; James Clyde. "Social Movements and the Symbolism of Public Demonstrations: The 1874 Women's Crusade and German Resistance in RichmondWilling, Joseph K. "The Profession of Bootlegging".Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Volume: 125. Modern Crime: Its Prevention and Punishment. May, 1926. 40-48.Timberlake, James.Prohibition and the Progressive Movement, 19001920Harvard University Press, 1963.

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