The Progressives were led by religious leaders such as Charles Parkhurst, a Protestant Reverend who urged for more “protest” from the Protestants. The Progressive Era united various anti-vice crusaders such as the Anti-Cigarette League, the American Purity Alliance, and the Anti-Saloon League. These groups were already united on many issues such as labor rights, women’s rights, minimum wage laws, etc. Thus, in 1900, a reform group known as the “New York Committee of Fifteen” conducted undercover vice investigations and released their first report with the title “The Social Evil.” A similar group with ties to the New York Anti-Saloon League, known as the “Committee of Fourteen,” did a comparable investigation of prostitution three years later. From 1910 to 1917, 43 different cities followed suit with similar commissions that flouted their propaganda in hopes of banning prostitution.
Reverend Parkhurst gained national recognition for his efforts to root out New York City’s open corruption with vice activity. In 1893 he successfully lobbied for criminal charges of neglect of duty to be levied against a terribly corrupt police captain, Bill Devery, who refused to shut down his precinct’s brothels. However, Devery was acquitted in the end. Although, the toleration of rampant vice …show more content…
The Storyville area even had an air of legitimacy as it catered to the adjacent business district with guidebooks, known as blue books (with green covers), which listed the local brothels and rated their services. However, not everyone approved of this formalized red-light district and a local resident, George L’Hote, sued the city over the ordinance. His case made it all the way to the Louisiana State Supreme Court, but the court ruled against him because the ordinance didn’t actually legalize prostitution; it was simply banned in all areas outside of
Reverend Parkhurst gained national recognition for his efforts to root out New York City’s open corruption with vice activity. In 1893 he successfully lobbied for criminal charges of neglect of duty to be levied against a terribly corrupt police captain, Bill Devery, who refused to shut down his precinct’s brothels. However, Devery was acquitted in the end. Although, the toleration of rampant vice …show more content…
The Storyville area even had an air of legitimacy as it catered to the adjacent business district with guidebooks, known as blue books (with green covers), which listed the local brothels and rated their services. However, not everyone approved of this formalized red-light district and a local resident, George L’Hote, sued the city over the ordinance. His case made it all the way to the Louisiana State Supreme Court, but the court ruled against him because the ordinance didn’t actually legalize prostitution; it was simply banned in all areas outside of