Prohibition in Wyoming: A Failure From the Start Tiffany Hatch Northwest College HIST 1251 Dr. Amy L. McKinney May 8th, 2023 There was a time when Wyoming banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor, which was met with opposition from many people who believed it was an affront to individual liberties. An example of said controversy over prohibition was known as the temperance movement; it was a group that campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol and was the largest opponent for those against it. The largest point for those against prohibition was the belief that the government should not be able to tell people what they could and could not drink. Supporters of prohibition believed that it would lead to a decrease in …show more content…
The introduction of The Great Depression made it that much more challenging to impose Prohibition laws; during the Depression, unemployment and poverty grew exponentially which in turn led to an increase in illegal alcohol sales. In 1933, the 21st Amendment was finally ratified, repealing Prohibition; the amendment was proposed by Congress on February 20, 1933. Wyoming, interestingly enough, was one of the first states to ratify the 21st Amendment, the state's ratifying convention unanimously approved the amendment on December 5, 1933, just hours before Utah became the 36th state to ratify it and officially end Prohibition. The repeal of Prohibition was a milestone in Wyoming's history as it put an end to what might be considered a 13-year trial, one that had consequently failed to achieve its goals. After it was repelled, Wyoming was able to legally resume selling alcohol. Contentions during Wyoming’s Prohibition were a result …show more content…
When Wyoming was first considering enacting prohibition laws in 1918, there was already widespread criticism from residents about the proposition. Many of the state’s residents resisted Prohibition laws in various ways, including ignoring the laws, buying alcohol from bootleggers, making their own alcohol, and supporting organizations that were working to repeal Prohibition. Prohibition was not only unsuccessful in enforcing laws, but it also led to the exploitation of children, such as Joe Sebastian, who talks about he was often used to aid alcoholic operations, “Yes, I had this little red wagon and my dad would fill it up with a gallon of moonshine and it was about three blocks away, and I’d put a bag over it and some toys, just like I was, or clothes or something, whatever, I was kind of playing and she would out two dollars in the envelope, and had it to me and she’d take the gallon of whiskey and sell it to her boarding people there.”. Despite the risk of arrest and fines, alcoholic parties during Prohibition were not at all uncommon, these parties were often held in homes or speakeasies, as a way to get around the Prohibition laws and enjoy alcohol in a social setting. Casper was a particularly iconic destination for bootleggers and speakeasies and was