The Controversy Of Prohibition In The 1920's

Prohibition was a time of great controversy between two sides, the dry versus the wet. It was the period between 1920 and 1933 in which alcohol was banned. During this time many people broke the law and brewed alcohol themselves. Prohibition was a major event in American history because of the reasons. behind the act, the effect of it, and the ways people got around it. “
Saloons were built in every city and. village and provided a setting for illegal activities” (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine). There were many bad things happening around saloons, such as major and minor crimes occurring due to the activity of saloons. “They encouraged people to cut down on the amount of drinking, but eventually they called for total abstinence.” (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine). This shows that the government and other people pushing for prohibition first tried to slow down the drinking and the crimes that occur

One six-hundred-member ‘synagogue’ turned out to be a laundry” (Woog 51). Many church officials and other people of importance and with access to the church were often attempting to make a little money on the side, through selling sacramental wine instead of using it in church ceremonies. ”Prohibition gave rise to organized crime in America by creating an atmosphere in which criminal gangs, which until then had been loosely organized and in small scale, could grow into large, organized crime networks” (Woog 52) Because of the crime associated with the illegal making of alcohol many officials say Prohibition did not in fact help with the crimes associated with alcohol, but made it worse. “Hundreds of thousands of gallons of alcohol were distilled for this market but never reached offshore destinations.” (Woog 50). There were also several loose laws such as the one stating alcohol can be made for sales in other countries, and for medicinal uses this resulted in false doctor prescriptions and (quote will be