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Alcohol Consumption In America During The 1920's

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America during the 1920s can be considered a cultural battleground as Americans were deeply divided over a number of different issues, including race, immigration, alcohol consumption, and interpretation of the bible. However, the differences between rural and urban lifestyles, specifically over alcohol consumption, is arguably the most divisive of these issues. In general, those that lived in rural area,especially in the South, tended to be more conservative and follow traditional beliefs. They believed in fundamentalism, which was the literal interpretation of the bible, and discouraged the teaching of evolution in schools. Those in rural areas also tended to support prohibition, which was a ban on the manufacturing and sale of alcohol, because they believed that alcohol consumption led to sinful …show more content…

In terms of religion, people living in urban areas vehemently disagreed with fundamentalism, arguing that a more modern interpretation of the bible was necessary. This led to the infamous Scopes Trial over the teaching of evolution, which disproved Bible's theory of Creation, in schools. People living in urban areas also tended to be strongly against prohibition. Many viewed the 18th Amendment as oppressive and unfair, since they considered alcohol consumption a personal choice, and actively rebelled against it by visiting illegal speakeasies or buying alcohol from bootleggers or smugglers. The typical lifestyle of women in urban areas also sharply contrasted that of women in rural areas. Many women in urban areas became more independent and openly rebelled against tradition by cutting their hair short, wearing "provocative" clothing, smoking, and drinking. This liberated women was referred to as the flapper. Even though not all women in urban areas were flappers, many became to emerge from their traditional homemaking roles and fulfill other roles in

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Okrent pushes the idea that Prohibition was an “Anglo-Saxon-Protestant issue” (192) and they were proven to continuously push for the cause. Politics and alcohol held close ties during the push for Prohibition (47), and Protestant “aristocrats” such as Roosevelt disliked this relationship, viewing it as corrupt. (48) Protestant women, like the Daughters of Temperance (15), were a force to be reckoned with. The biggest issue Protestant’s had though, according to Okrent, was the immigrant population and their usage of the saloons. (48) Okrent highlights that one of the forces in favour of Prohibition was the mindset held by many Americans.

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Between 1851 and 1855, thirteen states adopted prohibition within their state boundaries. Future president Abraham Lincoln even discussed temperance during his 1842 address to the local unit of the Washingtonian Temperance Society as the state of Illinois moved towards prohibition. This time in history is representative of the process followed by many temperance organizations, that is, they worked more with state governments to establish prohibition within sectional areas of the nation. After the Civil War, national organizations and political party development elevated the temperance movement to the national level, although not to the point where the nation was ready to implement a national ban on alcohol. At this point, the temperance movement was still very sectional with a split in support between the immigrant centered urban north and the rural regions of the south and west.

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The Roaring 20s, a decade marked by cultural shifts and economic growth in the United States, was also a period of profound societal challenges that tested the nation's values and laws. Among the most significant challenges faced during this era were Prohibition, the Palmer Raids, and the Scopes Trial. Prohibition, ushered in by the 18th Amendment, aimed to eliminate alcohol consumption but instead fueled organized crime and societal unrest. The Palmer Raids, a government-led crackdown on suspected radicals and anarchists, raised questions about civil liberties and due process. Meanwhile, the Scopes Trial, a legal battle over teaching evolution in schools, spotlighted the ongoing tension between religion and science.

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As the roaring twenties reached their end the battle against alcohol in the United States is just arising to a turning point. With serious controversy over the Volstead Act the country was greatly divided. There was also the extreme rising occurrences of crime, the creation of gangs and a newly established, unorganized criminal justice system. Prohibition was a disaster across America and the more reforment from the government just made things worse.

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Prohibition was a big problem in the 1920s, so big that the people in the U.S. started comparing alcohol to water. “WATER & ALCOHOL ALIKE IN APPEARANCE DIFFERENT IN EFFECT” as well was “WATER: Necessary to Life, Benefits the Body” and “ALCOHOL: Unnecessary to Life, Injures the Body” (Doc 13). The list goes on and on, based off of the polar opposite effects alcohol has on a person's life compared to water, proving that it can only damage the human body and the environment rather than build it up. Many people in the country were opposed to the 18th amendment that supported Prohibition and its use of alcohol to people of all ages.

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Teaching the study of evolution was outlawed in some states. Along with evolution, alcohol was was also banned in all of America. Speakeasies and bootlegging became popular, and after 13 years, prohibition was

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In the early 1920s, the views on alcohol in America had two very different standpoints. On one side, there were the people who believed that alcohol was a good contribution to society. These people were known as Modernists. On the other side, there were the people known as traditionalists who thought alcohol was evil and corrupt. These two sides differ in opinions which led to the debate against the drys and the wets.

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In the 1820s and ‘30s, religious revivalism arose with temperance and abolitionism. The influence of the churches widely spread the movement, and they introduced abstinence pledge. The rise of evangelical Protestantism viewed the saloon culture as depraved and is against God’s will. Women inculpated alcohol as it was ‘destructive force in families and marriages’. Some societies who were the supporters of Prohibition, the “dries”, led campaigns on the abolition of alcohol at the local, state, and national levels.

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Although many advertisements in support of temperance in the 1920s would have you believe that alcohol was tearing apart homes and creating bums, many of the actual reasons are tied back to national pride and religious motives. An address to Congress given by President Warren G. Harding on Dec. 8th, 1922, attempts to address the issues with prohibition and invites the Governor of the state to an open discussion. President Harding is a supporter of the 18th Amendment, but the majority of Temperance supporters consisted of middle-class Christian women. The average supporter saw temperance as a necessary sacrifice that would benefit America and more specifically the poor. Similarly, President Harding uses the idea of sacrifice and accommodation for the benefit of the Country to rally listeners.

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The experiment of Prohibition caused several issues throughout the United States, some of which have remained permanently. Prohibition was a major attempt of reform, through the ban of alcohol, that greatly impacted the United States in the 1920s and beyond; the effects of it have permanently impacted the lives and actions of people throughout the United States. Between 1820 and 1840, an upsurge of religious movements moved through the United States; many of these movements pointed towards increased encouragement for temperance, along with other important issues, such as the abolition of slavery. By the time of the early 1900s, temperance societies remained a common aspect of

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Nehemiah Gomendoza Miriam Barton EN102 Online 12 April 2024 Research Essay In the 1920’s, alcoholism and its consumption was seen as a great evil that corrupted American society. The push for criminalizing alcohol consumption resulted in the enactment of the 18th amendment -- the notorious prohibition amendment that banned alcohol consumption and production. Initially, there was widespread support from individuals of all backgrounds -- from philosophers and activists arguing the morality of alcohol dependence to economists in academia who postulated a boosted economy. However, after much difficulties in enforcing the circumvention of its policies as well as an incredible need for jobs during economic recession, prohibition was eventually repealed with the ratification of the 21st amendment.

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While the temperance movement influenced groups of people, the Prohibition era was the length of time where laws were passed, statewide, that banned the consumption and sales of alcohol. Maine was the first state to pass a “prohibition” law and many other states soon followed. Another commonality that Prohibition and the temperance movement shared was the support of women. Many women supported the passage of Prohibition laws, because they too saw alcohol as the cause of domestic abuse and the ruin of families. These women shared the same attitude to the women in the 1800’s.

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According to History.com, “a young woman with bobbed hair and short skirts who drank, smoked and said “unladylike” things, in addition to being more sexually “free” than previous generations” were flappers. Flappers had a big impact on society today. Flappers introduced feminism throughout society. According to Myrvang, “Flapper feminism rejected the idea that women should uphold society’s morals through temperance and chastity.” Women during this period wanted to be different.

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Prohibition The prohibition had been discussed long before it was ever passed. Many organizations and people wanted it to be passed because they believed that alcohol was the stem of violence and crime. In the 1920s crime was at a high as well as alcohol related deaths, leading to the belief that if alcohol is taken away it will eliminate the amount crime and death. The Roaring Twenties was a time of despair, as the prohibition brought a multitude of crime due to the passing of the 18th Amendment.

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portion of the community that was willing to outlaw the production of liquor in order to ensure order. Prohibitionist framed their issue with the consumption of liquor as a moral choice to save the working class from ruin through alcohol. b. The Passage of the Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments In 1919 Congress ratified the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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