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How Significant Was Prohibition In Changing The Lives Of The American People

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How significant was Prohibition in changing the lives of the American people in 1919-1933? Explain your answer to the question. . “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you”. F. Scott Fitzgerald, ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1) As early as 7000 BCE, mankind was first acquainted with alcoholic beverages; became an inseparable companion of humanity throughout history, and was praised for being present during joyful and sorrowful times, neglecting the common knowledge that they gave nothing but fraud, ecstasy, and illness when consumed. The Volstead Act was an act of nationwide ban on alcohol, which had a profound and widespread impact on American society. This essay will explore how significant this law has shaped …show more content…

One trigger is that after the American Revolution, the average person was consuming around 2 bottles of 80 proof every week, as it was safer to drink than water itself, shaping American drinking habits afterward. Although alcohol consumption became much more moderate afterward, it didn’t make a big difference, still drunken violence, and criminal activities were countless. This started the powerful temperance movement, the American Temperance Society in 1826, encouraging drinkers to abstain or limit their alcohol consumption. This idea was favored by many influential figures, including religious sects, denominations, methodists, and women, who then even had their union called ‘the Women’s Christian Temperance Union’. Most women had a strong despise for liquor as it was a trigger of their husbands’ awful actions such as domestic violence and wasted wages. However, the one that forced the government to pass a prohibition law was rather the Anti-Saloon League of 1893, led by cunning and ruthless Wayne Wheeler. Mind altered, crowds gradually saw saloons as offensive, and many protestors were over the moon and saw a great opportunity to refine the country with the help of Wayne Wheeler. Hence, churches started actively spreading the verse of the bible that says ‘Galatians 5:19-21: The acts of the sin of the sinful nature are obvious:.drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”. Most importantly, women played a significant role in the success of prohibition due to being disproportionately affected by alcohol-induced domestic violence and child abandonment. Carrie Nation, an activist who suffered after her alcoholic husband’s deeds, became well-known for her hatchet-wielding crusades against liquor. Greatly heroic, she encouraged many women to volunteer even after her death. In such a

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