Scott Reid
Professor Downey
HIST-174-05
May 5, 2017
“How Prohibition Lead to The Creation of One of America’s Most Watched Sports” Shortly after World War I in 1920 America had passed the 18th amendment which made the manufacture, importation, sale, and transport of alcohol illegal, but did not make the consumption of alcohol illegal. Despite the 18th amendment lasting from 1920 to 1933 it was not very well enforced by officers or the government, which lead to “illegal” speakeasies being opened in which people were still drinking sometimes along with the same police officers that were supposed to be enforcing Prohibition, along with bootlegging becoming popular which allowed speakeasy owners and even regular civilians to gain access to alcohol. Despite attempts by the U.S to shut down the bootleggers smuggling liquor, the bootleggers were still able to buy “medicinal” alcohol sold in drugstores with fake prescriptions, and through other means so there was no …show more content…
Fan interest was not frizzling out anytime soon with all the new tracks being opened and new opportunities for racers to prove their worth and become one of the heroes of NASCAR. In 1972 Bill France Sr. passed leadership to his son Bill France Jr. this would open the door to even more innovation. In 1979 the Daytona 500 became the first race to broadcast on television for the entirety of the five hundred miles of the race. The 1990’s was once again a decade of expansion for NASCAR by building the New Hampshire International Speedway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To this day NASCAR is still expanding, they have started international series and have also changed the cars that are used to better resemble showroom cars. NASCAR’s future is untold and most likely it isn’t going to end anytime soon with the massive fan base it has acquired throughout its seventy plus years of its
Professor Downey
HIST-174-05
May 5, 2017
“How Prohibition Lead to The Creation of One of America’s Most Watched Sports” Shortly after World War I in 1920 America had passed the 18th amendment which made the manufacture, importation, sale, and transport of alcohol illegal, but did not make the consumption of alcohol illegal. Despite the 18th amendment lasting from 1920 to 1933 it was not very well enforced by officers or the government, which lead to “illegal” speakeasies being opened in which people were still drinking sometimes along with the same police officers that were supposed to be enforcing Prohibition, along with bootlegging becoming popular which allowed speakeasy owners and even regular civilians to gain access to alcohol. Despite attempts by the U.S to shut down the bootleggers smuggling liquor, the bootleggers were still able to buy “medicinal” alcohol sold in drugstores with fake prescriptions, and through other means so there was no …show more content…
Fan interest was not frizzling out anytime soon with all the new tracks being opened and new opportunities for racers to prove their worth and become one of the heroes of NASCAR. In 1972 Bill France Sr. passed leadership to his son Bill France Jr. this would open the door to even more innovation. In 1979 the Daytona 500 became the first race to broadcast on television for the entirety of the five hundred miles of the race. The 1990’s was once again a decade of expansion for NASCAR by building the New Hampshire International Speedway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To this day NASCAR is still expanding, they have started international series and have also changed the cars that are used to better resemble showroom cars. NASCAR’s future is untold and most likely it isn’t going to end anytime soon with the massive fan base it has acquired throughout its seventy plus years of its