America has long since been a nation to favor the consumption of alcoholic beverages even in its infancy. The drinking of water was often considered dangerous. Those who sailed on the “Mayflower,” carried with them rations of beer, wine, and rum that out-weighed in volume the amount of water they carried. It is well known that George Washington distilled whiskey and William Penn owned a brewery (Andreas 228). Throughout history, taxes and laws have been imposed on the manufacturing, transportation, and distribution of alcohol in a fruitless battle to legislate morality. With this in mind, it is important to analyze the past and current moonshine and blue laws in order to understand their impacts on the private citizen, the economy, the enforcement
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Domestic and imported whiskeys as well as the ingredients used in the distilling of liquor fell under this tax. In protest, farmers in Pennsylvania attacked federal tax collectors forcing President Washington to send 13,000 troops to stifle the uprising (1791). Moving on before the arrival of troops, America’s first moonshiners at the “Whiskey Rebellion” showed the signs of a nation split between an industry of legally distilled alcohol and a new black market of illegal moonshine (Watman 31). These rebels relocated to the wild areas in Kentucky, the slopes of the Blue Ridge, and the Smokey Mountains where they would be left alone (Watman 36). The election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800 brought about the repeal of the tax in 1802 saving many small distilleries from utter extinction. As a result, a booming industry was born. Due to technological advancements, distilling at a large scale became possible and the industry thrived. One in every 20 patents granted by the US government between 1802 and 1815 was for a distillation devise (Watman 38). Frederick Marryat wrote in A Dairy in …show more content…
If you meet, you drink; if you part, you drink; if you make acquaintance, you drink; if you close a bargain, you drink; they quarrel in their drink, and they make up with a drink. They drink because it is hot; they drink because it is cold. If successful in elections, they drink and rejoice; if not, they drink and swear; they begin to drink early in the morning, they leave off late at night; they commence it early in life, and they continue it, until they soon drop into the grave (qtd. in Andreas 228).
Watman declares, “The nation was drinking, and the distillers were cranking out the booze … Then came war” (39).
United in resolution, women organized through the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and prohibitionists armed with a message of patriotism and anti-German ethos changed the Constitution of the United States of America. A feat never accomplished by any other lobby group (Andreas 229). On January 16, 1920, one year after congress passed it into law the 18th Amendment took effect. The article reads,
Section 1. After one year from the ratification of the article the manufacturing, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby
Domestic and imported whiskeys as well as the ingredients used in the distilling of liquor fell under this tax. In protest, farmers in Pennsylvania attacked federal tax collectors forcing President Washington to send 13,000 troops to stifle the uprising (1791). Moving on before the arrival of troops, America’s first moonshiners at the “Whiskey Rebellion” showed the signs of a nation split between an industry of legally distilled alcohol and a new black market of illegal moonshine (Watman 31). These rebels relocated to the wild areas in Kentucky, the slopes of the Blue Ridge, and the Smokey Mountains where they would be left alone (Watman 36). The election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800 brought about the repeal of the tax in 1802 saving many small distilleries from utter extinction. As a result, a booming industry was born. Due to technological advancements, distilling at a large scale became possible and the industry thrived. One in every 20 patents granted by the US government between 1802 and 1815 was for a distillation devise (Watman 38). Frederick Marryat wrote in A Dairy in …show more content…
If you meet, you drink; if you part, you drink; if you make acquaintance, you drink; if you close a bargain, you drink; they quarrel in their drink, and they make up with a drink. They drink because it is hot; they drink because it is cold. If successful in elections, they drink and rejoice; if not, they drink and swear; they begin to drink early in the morning, they leave off late at night; they commence it early in life, and they continue it, until they soon drop into the grave (qtd. in Andreas 228).
Watman declares, “The nation was drinking, and the distillers were cranking out the booze … Then came war” (39).
United in resolution, women organized through the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and prohibitionists armed with a message of patriotism and anti-German ethos changed the Constitution of the United States of America. A feat never accomplished by any other lobby group (Andreas 229). On January 16, 1920, one year after congress passed it into law the 18th Amendment took effect. The article reads,
Section 1. After one year from the ratification of the article the manufacturing, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby