1
Possibility Of The 18th Amendment Ratification
Imagine this. A child is sitting at home waiting for daddy to get home from work. The hours pass and he has still not arrived. Suddenly, the child’s father comes stumbling through the doorway. He’s drunk again and just spent his entire paycheck at the local tavern. Instead of coming home to a warm cooked meal, he is threatening to abuse his wife and child. This story is just one of many reasons why Congress supported the ratification of the 18th Amendment. Prohibition was certainly a noble experiment but not one that was a solution to all of America’s drinking problems. Prohibition helped to curb drinking, however; it more or less has harmed America for nearly a decade. There’s no doubt about it that Prohibition has had its successes. Consumption of alcohol has declined by 50%, fewer workers are spending their wages at saloons. The society has become healthier. There are now fewer arrests for drunkenness. Most families are satisfied with the outcome of this amendment. Illegal alcohol has become too expensive to the point where the average American citizen can’t afford it anymore. This is now causing the average American to resort to bootlegging and speakeasies. Adding to more illegal actions. This is causing more problems for our country and we need a resolution quickly. Illegal crime is becoming even a bigger problem than before. Bootlegging is leading to gangs forming and is causing countless murders. Al Capone has created a huge gang that is sweeping the country. This amendment is getting out of hand and it’s time for a change.
Despite the success of Prohibition, there are still harmful effects. There’s multiple problems with prohibition like bootlegging, rum runners, and speakeasies. Due to prohibition, crime rate has gone up and some of the crime being committed was from normal law abiding people. And even the federal government doesn’t give much effort when enforcing the amendment as they never gave the prohibition agencies and bureaus money. The main reasons why prohibition was a failure was because many people got around it and drinking never stopped. One way people would get around prohibition was speakeasies. Speakeasies were nightclubs that sold alcohol illegally. You needed to say a password to be let in and if you didn't know the password you weren't let in. bootlegging and rum runners were sort of the same thing. Rum runners would go to other countries and get boxes alcohol and bring it back to the states. They would be given money for how much liquor the brought back; were a bootleggers would make their own alcohol and sell it. Prohibition has impacted America negatively in many ways. It’s caused Americans to disobey the law, make their own alcohol, and make a profit off of it. While making this illegal alcohol, the ingredients became harmful. They used denatured alcohol, a form of ethanol that is poisonous and often killed who ever drank it. Some other ingredients they use are Embalming Fluid and Mercury. People have taken advantage of The Volstead Act and found loopholes through it. They had gone to physicians and asked them to prescribe alcohol for “medical conditions.” Once the word got to gangsters that big money was being made from illegal alcohol, they took advantage. Gangsters, like Al Capone, created their own bootlegging organizations, and these were also involved in crime that created 2 violence.
Prohibition Establishing Organized Crime Is prohibition fueling the rise of organized crime? By: Reese Ellis
February 14, 1929 the Valentine’s day massacre broke out. Causing chaos in the streets of Chicago. A suspicious “police car” had pulled up to a garage where and Irish gangster, known as George Moran was shot to death. No one is really sure if it was Al Capone's doing or not, but we have our suspicions. Yes, prohibition is increasing the rise of organized crime. New problems are arising due to this new amendment. Such as bootlegging and speakeasies with new gangs forming. This is causing great conflict to Americans citizens daily lives. Bootlegging and speakeasies are two of the greatest conflicts that are created as a result of prohibition. Bootlegging grew because of Prohibition. Bootlegging was the illegal sale and transportation of alcohol. Bootlegging is causing the rise of organized crime because individuals want to compete for power and money. Al Capone is one of the most well known gang leaders in Chicago. He is involved in bootlegging and had a gang of over 1000 members. He is also blamed for hundreds of murders and bribed politicians and policemen in order to stay out of jail. Al Capone has been recently been put in jail, but not for bootlegging or the countless murders. He was put in jail for tax evasion.
Speakeasies, like bootlegging, included illegal acts of transportation, production, and the sale of alcohol. It isn’t another form of bootlegging but it is very similar. Speakeasies are secret drinking clubs that can be found all over. New York has over 32,000 speakeasies as known of at this moment. They’re found mostly found in places where you wouldn’t think they’d be. They range from being in beauty parlors to cigar stores and possibly some lunch rooms.. Cities have become infested with them and bootleggers have been selling them their alcohol. While organized crime was on the rise because of prohibition, there were still organizations in support of Prohibition. the American Temperance society had been in favor of prohibition ever since 1826. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was also for prohibition and was founded in 1873. There were many organizations that were against prohibition. Yet, there were many that were against it too. Most of American are over prohibition and had had enough of it. Prohibition is the cause of corrupted public officials and the increase in the rise of organized crime.
3
3
4
Persistent Prohibition Should the US repeal Prohibition? Miranda Jones
Prohibition was set to reduce crime and corruption, improve health and hygiene in America, and solve social problems. What actually happened was the opposite. People became very upset, and this caused more violence than good. Before prohibition of alcohol was set, illegal behavior was off the charts. Men would spend most of their paychecks on booze, and leave their families at home starving. These families of theirs relied on those paychecks for food and housing. Wives were to stay home and take care of the children, they didn’t have time for a job. They never realized how expensive booze really was, it turned out to be too expensive for the average person to buy. Too many people were found drunk, and poor because of all the alcohol they spent all of their money on. The government wanted to do something about that. After signing the 18th Amendment, illegal behavior decreased for the most part. Consumption of alcohol declined, and there was less crime in some places. Fewer worker spent their wages at saloons to benefit their families. But this turned out to break up families sometimes, and cause more violence. People were getting angry because of prohibition of alcohol. Many thought that prohibition meant no drinking alcohol. It actually just meant the transportation, sale, and manufacture of it. The Volstead Act was made so that anyone with a health condition or prescription of alcohol by a physician could drink it. People were finding loopholes around this, and found doctors that would actually prescribe alcohol to them for “medical conditions.”
The illegal behavior increased very rapidly after the 18th Amendment. Some people didn’t even pay attention, they were already finding ways around it. They learned how to brew their own “bathtub gin.” Bathtub gin was distilled and fermented at home, tasted awful and was dangerous. When alcohol they used was denatured alcohol meaning a form of ethanol that is poisonous, it often killed who drank it. Other ingredients used to make alcoholic beverages were mercury, embalming fluid and jake, which caused paralysis and death. Owners of saloons that were shut down, were reopening secret drinking clubs also known as,“speakeasies.” Bootlegging became very popular also, people illegally transporting alcohol by rival gangs. These gangs who made and sold alcohol illegally would make a great deal of money. As a result, much of this business was taken over by gangsters, such as Al Capone. These bootlegging gangs which were involved in other kinds of crime prompted frequent violence. Many law enforcement officials or city leaders were being bribed, threatened, or paid off by gangsters. So they were able to operate outside of law easily. I believe that prohibition of alcohol should be repealed. It could save families, and help the society by preventing more crime. Also, it will keep people from doing even more illegal work, by not following the 18th Amendment. Alcohol is drunk often by people, it should not be taken away only for medical use. 5
6
Prohibition sparked the nation Has prohibition succeed at ending the use of alcohol? As we all know prohibition was a huge part in On the other hand, Wets felt like the the 1920’s, because of prohibition gang violence rose to an all time high and crime rates went up tremendously. Al Capone rose as one of the most powerful, notorious, and well known gangster. With the prohibition, there were multiple successes along with many more failures such as bootlegging, speakeasies, rum runners, bathtub gin, and many more. To really understand prohibition you first have to know both sides of the sand. Drys were politicians, influential people, and your average citizens that supported prohibition. Wets were the exact opposite of drys and despised prohibition and many worked their way around it. So, has prohibition succeeded at ending the use of alcohol? Given the number of wets in the country prohibition has not succeeded at ending the use of alcohol. Prohibition was the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and was ratified by Congress to fix the behavior being caused by alcohol and drinking. People wanted a healthier and happier society. Those who supported Prohibition believed that making alcohol illegal would help with the moral issues that affected society. Initially, drys believed prohibition was going to be very successful. Drys wanted to prevent foreigners from infuelings society. Drys believed that alcoholism caused crime, violence, and the breakup of families. Once Prohibition was passed, less people were drinking alcohol and fewer workers were spending their wages at saloons. Before the war the drinking rate was at 2.6 gallons a year but by 1926 drinking was at less than 1 gallon.
government was trying to control the morality and actions of citizens by making alcohol illegal. Also, prohibition caused crime to grow and a part of the crimes committed was from average law abiding citizens. The federal government didn't give much effort in enforcing the law as they never gave the prohibition agencies and bureaus money. When president Herbert Hoover put in place the Volstead Act many people knew this was sure to fail as the number of agents you needed to enforce the law was short by thousands. Despite some initial success, Prohibition has not succeeded in ending the use of alcohol. Rum- runners are one of the reasons why prohibition is failing. They brought foreign liquor into the U.S. They went from N.Y to canada with their trunks fulls of beer and other alcohol. Also they made boats to travel to the bahamas then back to new york. Rum runners made a lot of money but that also depended on how much liquor they would bring. If they were only to bring a few boxes they wouldn't receive as much money as if they were to bring a lot of alcohol. Most called the alcohol they brought in from other countries bootlegged liquor. One man who controlled bootlegging and alcohol was Al capone. Al Capone controlled bootlegging in Chicago, Bootlegging is making and selling alcohol illegally. Speakeasies were nightclubs that sold alcohol in secret. You would have to give a password to be let it in. Bathtub Gin is another way Americans could get around Prohibition. Bathtub gin is very dangerous and tasted really awful. People died from it because of how poisonous it is. Bathtub gin is a homemade alcohol and pharmacist were forging prescriptions for people to get alcohol legally. In conclusion, Prohibition has not succeeded in ending the use of alcohol. Americans can still get their alcohol from bootleggers, speakeasies, or by making it themselves.
Left: A bartender serves illegal alcohol at a speakeasy. 7
Oh My, Organized Crime is on the Rise! Is organized crime becoming a threat to America? By: Jaquoi Harrington Young James Rodgers was recently walking through the streets of New York City when suddenly a Model T came roaring around the corner. James hid behind the nearest building and watched as the fuzz arrested a notorious gangster. Young James watched in horror as the fuzz removed barrels of liquor from the backseat of the Model T. Unfortunately, this is not the only incident of crime in American cities. Organized crime is becoming a threat to America.
The most well known gangster was Al Capone. Al Capone lived in Chicago and he was a bootlegger. Al Capone wanted to control the bootlegging business in Chicago. He competed with other gangs in Chicago. Al Capone and rival gangs had shootouts to see who could control Chicago’s bootlegging business.
Organized crime is planned illegal activities. Organized crime became well known because of Prohibition. Prohibition outlawed the sale, manufacturing and transportation of alcohol. Many Americans were opposed to Prohibition and still wanted to buy and drink alcohol. So, Americans started to visit speakeasies. Speakeasies sold alcohol illegally. Americans could also get alcohol from bootleggers. A bootlegger is a person who made and sold alcohol illegally.
The most well-known organized crime event was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. George Bugsy Moran was a gangster in Chicago. He was also a bootlegger. He competed with Al Capone. On February 14, men dressed like police officers went to Bugsy Moran’s warehouse and ordered his men to line up against the wall so their warehouse could be searched. Once the men were lined up, the men dressed up like police officers started shooting at the men. The men dressed up like police officers really weren’t police officers. They were from Al Capone’s rival gang. It was one of the most gruesome massacres in this decade.
Gangsters controlled most of the bootlegging business. They operated primarily in Chicago and Detroit. Because gangsters wanted as much power as possible they competed with other gangers in the bootlegging business. They killed each other to compete for more business.
The police couldn’t stop the rise of organized crime because often times they were paid off by the gangsters. Even politicians were bribed by gangsters. Gangster would rig elections so that certain candidates would win and thus help the gangsters. Overall organized crime from drinking to selling illegal liquor, selling liquor to illegal bars and nightclubs and gang wars and shoot outs between rival gangs and police officers have ultimately contributed to organized crime in the streets. Left: Well known gangster, Al Capone. 8
9
Works Cited
Hart, Diane, and Bert Bower. History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals. Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2013. LuĂŒ sted, Marcia Amidon, and Jennifer K. Keller. The Roaring Twenties: Discover the Era of Prohibition, Flappers, and Jazz. Nomad Press, 2014.
10