Prohibition Social Effects

Prohibition was the period of time in which alcohol was banned from manufacturing, selling, and consumption in the US from 1920 until its repealing in 1933. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act put the Prohibition in drive, while the 21st Amendment repealed the Prohibition. Although most of the effects of the Prohibition are consequently negative, the time period needs to be taught in the U.S. History textbooks. The prohibition was an event significant enough to remain in the new U.S History textbook because socially it established new incriminating and fairly modern norms, politically because of the corruption of law enforcement because of mobsters, and economically because of its part in the downfall of the local economy. (Prohibition,

Since churches, especially those that were Catholic and Christian, they were often collectively morally objected to alcohol, believing that it was the “devil's juice.” Do to the church's support of the Prohibition Act, many people did not find religion appealing anymore (Florien).” Not only did the Prohibition affect life socially, it also affected the everyday politics of America at the time. The political consequences all started with the 18th Amendment being enforced by the Volstead Act, or otherwise known as the National Prohibition Act. The 18th Amendment initially established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The Volstead act was a document that explained in detail certain enforcements that would put the 18th Amendment in place. The Volstead Act states, “No person shall on or after the date when the eighteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States goes into effect, manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor except as authorized in this Act, and all the provisions of this shall be liberally construed to the end that---the use of intoxicating liquor as a beverage may be prevented (Volstead Act,

In New York, almost 75% of the state’s revenue was from such taxes. With Prohibition that revenue was lost. Prohibition cost the federal government $11 billion in lost tax revenue. And it cost over $300 million to enforce (Hanson, Negative Effects of Prohibition).” As a whole, both the local economy, local jobs, and the Federal Government suffered consequences of the Prohibition. It is very important for this aspect of the Prohibition to be in the U.S History books because the economic downfall of America, caused by the Prohibition, can very well repeat itself, so the youth absolutely needs to be taught about the economy during the Prohibition. The Prohibition was an event significant enough to remain in the new U.S History textbook because socially it established new incriminating and fairly modern norms, politically because of the corruption of law enforcement because of mobsters, and economically because of its part in the downfall of the local economy. Prohibition is an extremely important part of history. It helped shape many decisions that lead to certain laws in this day and age. The Prohibition era shaped the modern societal norms, today’s politics, and the economy. The era taught America that laws that may seem as though they are in good intentions, can backfire. Politics and law officials became corrupted, the economy took a major hit, and the social norms shaped into being