1920s Prohibition Research Paper

Was it ever illegal to drink alcohol during the Prohibition in the 1920’s? There is a simple answer to this frequently asked question; no. The act did not ban the consumption of alcohol which is often a misunderstanding when people talk about the prohibition. The ban was only on the selling and manufacturing of alcohol. The prohibition did not end with its original intentions (Prohibition). Many factors led up to the prohibition act including, ideas to fix social problems, evil in alcohol, and crime.

On January 16, 1919, the idea of banning the manufacturing, selling, and transporting of hard liquors by President Woodrow Wilson, was ratified and became the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Prohibition). The start of the hatred of alcohol

The original idea was to decrease crime and violence rates, however, after Al Capone became known for his illegal activities, the crime rates started increasing. Al Capone was the biggest prohibition criminal. He made around $60 Million each year during the prohibition from his bootlegging and speakeasies operations. The rise of gangs and gang violence began as Capone, in a way, promoted it. By the end of the 1920’s, support was dropping for the prohibition act. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the repercussions of the Great Depression sparked the end of the ban and the proposition of the 21st amendment. The amendment would repeal the 18th amendment. It got passed on December 5th, 1933, and ended the national ban on the manufacturing, transporting, and selling of alcohol. However, individual states still kept the law, even after the end of the ban (“Prohibition”). It was not until 1966 that all states in the United States ended their prohibitions (Getchelle, Michelle). The government also took a major hit economically. All the tax revenue that they brought in from alcohol manufacturing and distribution was no longer there. Alcohol taxes were up to almost 75% of New York’s state revenue tax. Alcohol was a major way for the government to make money but, they did not realise how much it actually brought in. “At the national level, prohibition cost the federal government a total of $11 billion in lost tax revenue, while costing over $300 million to enforce.”-Michael Lerner, writer of “Prohibition: Unintended Consequences”. The prohibition caused unexpected