TIME Special Edition May 1922 “Prohibition”
Table Of Contents How has Prohibition helped or Harmed America?................………………..3 Alcohol in the 1920’s…………………………....…………………..................4 Organized Crime in the 1920’s...................................................................5 Organized Crime in the 1920’s (b).............................................................6 Organized Crime in the 1920’s (c).............................................................7 How is Organized Crime Hurting Americans?.............................................8 How is Organized Crime Hurting Americans? (b)........................................9 How is Organized Crime Hurting Americans? (c)......................................10 Should the United States Repeal Prohibiton?...........................................11 Should the United States Repeal Prohibiton? (b).....................................12 Should the United States Repeal Prohibiton? (c).....................................13 Why do you Support the “Wets” or the “Drys”- Why?..............................14 Why do you Support the “Wets” or the “Drys”- Why? (b).........................15 Why do you Support the “Wets” or the “Drys”- Why? (c).........................16 Bibliography……………………………………………………………….…...17
How has Prohibition helped or harmed America? Prohibition, as it stands today, has harmed America and American citizens significantly. It has exponentially risen rates in crime, caused government corruption, and has split the country into two opposing groups, the “wets”, those who opposed prohibition, and the “drys”, those who supported prohibition. America is split in two. 63% of Americans supported the “drys”. 37% of Americans supported the “wets”. “Drys” wanted to use the grain used to make beer to make other feeds. They also thought that they didn’t need alcohol. The “wets” wanted freedom of alcohol and the right to have it. Both sides would protest and protest until eventually the “drys” won. In the early 20s, prohibition was the 18th amendment. Since prohibition started, the alcohol use has only gone up. Bootleggers, speakeasies, and all other illegal activity has only gone up as well. The consumption of alcohol has nearly doubled in the last decade. It's not just criminals that are drinking, it’s everyday people. Your parents are probably sippin’ on a cold one as we speak. Is that illegal? Yes, but nobody is doing anything about it, including law enforcement. I think that prohibition has helped America with one small thing, and that is to never try to enforce the 18th amendment ever again. I think that in the long run it is a bad thing just because of the amount of deaths that was brought upon by violent crime which was brought on by prohibition.
It's not just criminals that are drinking, From the start of prohibition, it has made organized crime (such as gangs) rates rise exponentially. All of the different gangsters, such as Lucky Luciano, Al Capone, Johnny Torrio and more have split Chicago into syndicates that they control and are corrupting the government. This is one of many reasons why prohibition is harming America. Another reason organized crime is hurting America is that it spawns waves of violence that hurt innocent people. This usually happens outside of speakeasies since they would both want to sell illegal alcohol to speakeasies but only one of them would get the chance, a good example of this would be the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, where people from Al Capone’s gang dressed as police officers and fake arrested members of George Moran’s gang, and then when their guards were down, the members of Al Capone’s gang shot them dead with Thompson machine guns. With rising rates in crime, this goes hand and hand with government corruption. When gangsters racketeer illegal alcohol, they pay local police officers to “look the other way”, so they can continue making millions of dollars in an illegal business. Samuel H. Church, president of Carnegie Institute says in his essay “The Paradise of the Ostrich”, the government has it’s “head in the sand” and believes if they can’t see what's happening around them, then it doesn’t exist. The Government creating the 18th Amendment also created a business that dispenses more or less poisoned liquor and debauches youth and age, and that they don’t have to pay taxes on.
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Alcohol in the 1920’s As you know, prohibition was put in place not too long ago...and there is a definite change, but it is for the better or the worse? The consumption of alcohol, organized crime, and lawlessness, is all on the rise. All because of prohibition. What are we going to do about all of this crime? We all need to find a way to stop this, one way or another. Since the 18th Amendment was put in order on January 29, 1919, the alcohol consumption has only gone up. But that also means that crime has only gone up too, because any and all alcohol is illegal. Doctors all over the country are prescribing pretty much anybody with the ability to drink alcohol for medical reasons, like for their nerves. Most of us Americans are law abiding, but most every day people do not have any problem with going to a speakeasy and having a few drinks, or even getting drunk. Herbert Hoover says that prohibition is an experiment “noble in motive.” The New York Times stated that there is more drinking than ever before! Not only is the amount of alcohol consumption going up, but the amount of organized crime is going up too! The St. Valentine's Day Massacre for example. We all know that Al Capone is a no good murderer, and the massacre supports exactly that. On February 13th of 1929, Al Capone made a fake phone call to a rival gang saything that a shipment was in, but it was a trap… On Valentine’s day, the rival gang was getting the shipment, the gang was not scared, because they were use to police activity. But what they didn’t know, was that the “police”, were Al Capone’s people. All of Al Capone’s people killed the rival gang, it was a bloodbath. All of this happened just because of prohibition, because if prohibition was not in place, they would not be fighting over liquor. Lawlessness was also on the rise. Many are forming speakeasies, which are illegal liquor joints. The police do not have enough bodies to stop these small problems, because they are focused on the violent crime. There are also many people that are bootlegging (smuggling beer). Because the price on alcohol was so high, the average person is going over to Canada or Mexico, and buying liquor. Then they are bringing it back over here, and selling it for almost five times the profit. The 18th amendment needs to be looked at harshly, is it really doing what it is suppose to be doing? Or is it just making things worse? The lawlessness, consumption of alcohol, and violent crime, needs to stop!
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Political Cartoon Quinten Eberly
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Organized Crime in the 1920’s Quinten Eberly
Al Capone, Johnny Torrio, mobsters,
Another type of organized crime that has come
racketeers, and syndicates are all so powerful
out of organized crime is racketeering. What
right now because of prohibition. If prohibition
happens is the racketeers infiltrate the labor
didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be as many gang
unions and threaten the members and make them
wars because none of the gangs would have
pay protection money to the very same mobsters
enough money to buy all of the Thompson
that are threatening them. Then, since the labor
submachine guns that they have, and nobody
unions were losing money to the racketeers, they
would be able to buy off the police. If nobody
would raise the membership price to get into the
could buy off the police, then the city would be
union. Then, people want to get into the labor
run better because there would be no corruption,
unions in order to not be attacked, and the unions
and this is why prohibition is the worst idea that
make more money, which the mobsters then take
the country has ever had.
away from them.
Gang wars are one terrible thing that has
Syndicates are like towns in a state for
been caused by prohibition. They tear up the city
gangs to control. When prohibition just started
and destroy people’s safety, the police
out, Johnny Torrio had this great idea to turn
can’t/don’t help because they either have been
Chicago into his own kingdom. He divided the
paid off by the gangsters that are in the war, or
city into different syndicates that were all
don’t have the guns required to stop the
controlled by different gangsters. There is not a
gangsters that are fighting. The gangsters have
part of Chicago that isn’t controlled by some
Thompson submachine guns and the police have
kind of gangster. But what’s starting to happen is
six-shooters. Six-shooters are much slower
the gangsters are starting to backstab each other
shooting and lighter than Thompson submachine
and Johnny Torrio was killed. Now the
guns. The police can’t go in against the
Valentine's Day Massacre has just passed and
gangsters.
that seems to have been the peak of the fighting. Chicago is still controlled by gangs and I don’t
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Organized crime in the 1920’s Quinten Eberly
know when that will ever end. Prohibition is the only reason that all of these things are happening and if we want to do anything about it, we have to stand up to
Al Capone
the government and get our beer back. The gangs and mobsters are destroying the country and prohibition is the only reason behind it. Prohibition needs to be gone!
Charles “Lucky” Luciano
Johnny Torrio
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How Is Organized Crime Hurting Ryan Leiffert Americans? First we have to know what caused all of this
If organized crime continues to grow and get more
organized crime. Everyone who wasn’t born
and more powerful, your home or neighborhood can
yesterday knows that there’s always been crime, but
be ruined by all of the violence that it brings with it
never near as badly as it is now in the 1920s. The
and no one will want to be a policeman and protect
answer isn’t too complicated either. Prohibition is
you or anyone anymore because the death rate for
what’s causing it. Ever since the 18th amendment
policer will go way up and no one will have the
(Prohibition) was passed, criminals saw the huge
courage to stand up to gangsters. This brings me to
amounts of money that could be made by smuggling
my next point of why the policeman jobs will
alcohol into the U.S. so they started selling illegal
disappear. Since the gangs are becoming so rich that
alcohol to places known as “Speakeasies” which I’m
almost every gangster has an M1927, also know as a
sure almost everyone is familiar with since they’re so
Tommy Gun or the Chicago Typewriter because of
popular now. These places are what replace all of the
the huge use in Chicago and the fast clicking sound
old bars and saloons when they were shut down by
similar to the sound of a typewriter, and some even
the government. All of these speakeasies are very
had the M1918 also know as the B.A.R. made by
common places for gang fights to go down today
Browning. There was not a single police officer that
since many organized crime gangs want to sell
could stand up against fire power like this while they
alcohol to these places and they can’t both sell their
had something like a browning M1911. No police
illegal alcohol to the same speakeasy at the same
force had the budget to buy something like an M1927
time, so naturally, fights break out. The biggest
or a B.A.R. rifle.
organized crime gang today is Al “Scarface” Capone. Everyone know he’s one of the richest guys around, but not very many people know why. Luckily I do and I’m going to explain to you why.
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How Is Organized Crime Hurting Americans? Ryan Leiffert My final point is that this will hurt business. If these
In conclusion, these problems could be very far off
massively rich crime lords continue to get more and
and very unlikely since there are so many things that
more rich, this could create a monopoly in the
could get in the way of these paths. Although if
business world. This could happen through the
organized crime continues on the path it is on right
business of illegally smuggling or selling alcohol
now those ideas could be possible unless America
becomes so big that those huge bootlegging
appeals the 18th Amendment.
businesses like Al Capone’s gang could easily buy out tons of other businesses and control huge companies and make even more money until eventually these organized crime gangs become huge powers in America.
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Creative Product
Ryan Leiffert
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Should the United States Repeal Prohibition?
Prohibition, National Disaster By Sierra Frost
Writer H.L Mencken stated,”All that the The United States of America should
prohibitionists have accomplished by their holy
repeal prohibition because of the rise of mass
crusade is to augment vastly the number of
organized crime, along with the cons of
boozers in the United States, and to convert the
prohibition outweighing the positives, and
trade in alcohol, once a lawful business, into a
because the government is not applying the law
criminal racket.” Mass organized crime isn’t the
as it was intended.
only con of the prohibition.
The prohibition is causing mass
The cons outweigh the positives in
organized crime, from Al Capone in Chicago to
prohibition. Prohibition was popular when the law
“Machine Gun Kelly” in Nashville,Tennessee. A
first went into effect, but now it’s growing
great deal of this lawbreaking is related to
increasingly unpopular, in which an increasing
prohibition, like bootlegging, which is to
percentage of citizens are now refusing to
manufacture, sell, or transport illegal liquor. This
uphold the law. Government officials are
added with racketeering, engaging in dishonest
becoming corrupt, willing to condone
and fraudulent business dealings. Gangsters
lawlessness, along with looking the other way to
realize that there are millions to be made from
illegal racketting.
illegal liquor, hijack each others liquors, and pay police to look the other way and intimidate speakeasy owners into buying their booze.
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The positives are few, such that the The Government is applying the law as it was investment of wage workers in the shares of intended. Samuel H.Church, president of the corporations is increasing so rapidly that all Carnegie Institute, in his essay of “The statistics are out of date, along with a new Paradise of the Ostrich”, compares the standards of living, which are 19 cents higher government to an ostrich with its head in the when prohibition arrived. But with the sand, believing that if they don’t see what's corrupted government, the increasing numbers going on around them, then it doesn’t exist. of gangs and gang violence, and increasing Government created a business worth numbers of illegal activity all due to prohibition, hundreds of millions, pays no tax, dispenses the pros are heavily outweighed by the more or less poisoned liquors, debauches cons.Along with all these cons, the youth and age. The amendment should have government is corrupt and not applying the been able to change with the views of the law. people, and given congress the power to legislate for it.
In conclusion, prohibition should be repealed because it’s causing mass organized People protesting to repeal prohibition
crime, the cons outweigh the positives in prohibition, and the government isn’t applying the law as it was intended.
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Picture of “wets” protesting for beer
Picture of beer going in the sewers
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Who Do You Support, The “Wets” Or The “Drys” - Why? Another reason the “drys” support
You understand the significance of “drying up”
prohibition is for sobriety. “Drys” think that the
this nation Koryn Neely
need for sobriety is needed for the army. People need to be clean of alcohol to fight. Some
There are two sides to prohibition: the “drys” (those who support prohibition) and the “wets” (those who oppose prohibition). The “drys
women will not kiss men’s lips that have touched liquor. The main reason to support the “drys” is
thought that they didn’t need alcohol. The “wets”
the outcomes. One good thing, more food is
thought they should have the freedom of it.
made for people in the war or people in need.
There are many reasons to support the “drys”, all
One bad thing is it brings out speakeasies, and
in which are important. The 18th amendment
they needed to hire more police officers out on
says it is illegal to sell and consume alcohol.
the streets. It also brings out organized crime.
One reason that the “drys” want
Supporting the “drys” is important. It
prohibition is more food. The grain used to make
makes food for needy and soldiers. It keeps
beer and liquor can be used to make bread and
sobriety in the USA. It keeps peace, and people
other foodstuffs. They think the food can be
aren’t drunk.
made for people in the war, or for people in need.
The “drys” protesting 15
No speakeasies! Consumption of alcohol is ILLEGAL! Do you really want to go against the law?
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Quinten Eberly
Sierra Frost
Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016. Hanson, Erica. The 1920s. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1999. Print. Johnny Torrio. Digital image. Den of Geek. Den of Geek, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016. O'neal, Michael J. America in the 1920s. New York City: Facts On File, 2006. Print. Pietrusza, David. The Roaring Twenties. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Al Capone. Digital image. History 1900s. About.com, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
N.d. Prohibition | United States History[1920-19300]. Web. 25 Oct. 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/event/ProhibitionUnited-States-history-1920-1933>. N.d. 14 Anti-prohibition PicturesCartoons,postcards, and Protests. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <http://twentytwowords.com/14-anti-prohibitionpictures-%E2%80%94-cartoons-postcards-andprotests/>. Church, Samuel Harden. "The Paradise of the Ostrich." The North American Review 221.827 (1925): 625-31. Print. ancey, Diane. Life during the Roaring Twenties. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2002. Print.
Thompson Submachine Gun. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. U.S.A. 1920s. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 2005. Print.
Ryan Leiffert
Works Cited Bowen, Ezra, ed. This Fabulous Century, 1920-1930. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1969. Print. Hanson, Erica. "A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades - The 1920s (A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades Series)." 1560065524. Lucent Books, 01 Jan. 1998. Web. 28 Oct. 2016. Inmates at Sing Sing Prison 1917-22. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Yancey, Diane. Life during the Roaring Twenties. San Diego, CA: Lucent,
17 2002. Print.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Koryn Neely Ben Campbell Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. Lindop, Edmund, and Margaret J. Goldstein. America in the 1920s. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century, 2010.
2016. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct.
Print. 2016. Woog, Adam, Michael V. Uschan, Erica Hanson, Petra Press, Stuart A. Kallen, Gini Holland, and Gail B. Stewart. A Cultural History of the United States: Through the Decades. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1999. Print.
Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016. Pietrusza, David The Roaring Twenties San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print. From Boom To Bust 1920-1929
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