How Did Prohibition Affect The 1920s

Prohibition:

A Failures Lasting Effect on the 1920’s

Neil Aradhya

US History II Honors

Ms. Rosenfeld

5/1/2023

The Roaring 20's was a decade of great social and cultural change in America, but it was also a time of unprecedented political and social experimentation, including the implementation of Prohibition. Prohibition, also known as the Volstead Act, was implemented in the United States in 1920, making the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol illegal. The law was enacted as a result of the temperance movement, which looked to reduce the negative effects of alcohol consumption on society. Prohibition was enforced by federal agents, and the production and sale of alcohol became the domain of organized crime syndicates.

In the article “Capone, Al” by Benson, Sonia, Daniel E. Brannen, Jr., and Rebecca Valentine it states, “Prohibition gave rise to organized crime in America. Prior to the 1920s, gangsters operated independently, often in ethnic enclaves, but Prohibition created a national market for illegal liquor. By the mid-1920s, organized crime was a highly structured, well-organized enterprise, and gangsters had become national figures. Gangsters such as Al Capone in Chicago and Lucky Luciano in New York City became powerful kingpins of organized crime, with vast empires built on bootlegging, gambling, and other illegal activities.” Prior to Prohibition, gangsters operated independently, but during the 1920s, they became highly structured and well-organized enterprises. Gangsters were given a medium to fully exercise their territorial influence with the ban of alcohol. In the article "7 Chicago Gangsters Slain by Firing Squad of Rivals, Some in Police Uniforms” Gale explains the significance of the newspaper written by the New York Times about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre 1929. In the article it states, “Capone's notoriety reached its zenith on February 14, 1929, when seven members of a rival gang were killed in what came to be known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Capone was widely believed to have ordered the killings, although he was in Florida at the time. The massacre, which

In the article “The Shadow of Danger” an advertisement in favor of prohibition is shown. In the advertisement it shows two scared children and reads “for our sake… Vote No on Liquor”. In another advertisement a bottle of alcohol is portrayed as poison to show it as an uncontrollable beverage. This highlights the primary argument leading to the Volstead Acts passage: the protection of innocent family members from alcohol abusers usually being a husband or father. Alcohol binging can definitely be associated with violence however, the passage of the Volstead Act did not stop people from drinking at all with so many just opting to drink or smuggle illegally. This was the main reason why the support of prohibition declined as the 1920’s advanced, eventually leading to its