From 1920 until 1933 there was a nationwide constitutional ban on the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Temperance movements had sprung up throughout the United States during the nineteenth century, but it was not until World War I when the first opportunity for the anti-alcohol movement was in sight. Legislation known as the Lever Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917, which regulated food, fuel and other commodities needed for the war effort was a direct effect of the anti-alcohol sentiment in Congress. Some argued that the grains needed to distill alcohol were needed as food and were in short supply because of the needs of the war. This temporarily shut down the nation’s breweries and …show more content…
The reformers argued that no social vice was more responsible for crime, disorder and poverty. In an age where women had minuscule legal rights and were completely dependent on their husbands to support them, the consumption of alcohol was creating havoc within many homes during this time period. Working men began to spend hours upon hours in saloons and their scarce wages would then vanish as a result. Drunkenness caused violence amongst men and even occasionally murder. Alcohol was also an impediment to industrial efficiency. Workers often missed work because they were intoxicated or came to work intoxicated and performed their tasks sloppily and dangerously. Alcoholism was a serious problem during this time period and was growing rapidly, especially in the West. Famers there grew more grain than they could sell, so they distilled most of it into whiskey. In the East as well, commercial distilleries and private stills were widespread. Not only was the production growing rapidly, but also the appetite for alcohol was growing. Drinking provided a social pastime in small towns and helped ease the loneliness and isolation on farms in the West. In the East, drinking was the principle leisure activity for many workers in pubs and saloons. The average American over the age of 15 consumed almost seven gallons of alcohol every year by 1830. This is three times the amount of alcohol the average American consumes today. As this suggests, Americans drank habitually and excessively and among many supporters for the temperance movement were people who wanted to overcome their own addiction problems. This would directly lead to the formation of many early temperance organizations. In 1826, the American Temperance Society (ATS) emerged and laid the foundation for many later groups. By 1840, temperance advocates had grown dramatically