Prohibition
The 1920’s was a time of optimism and hope. America had just helped win World War I and everyone was on cloud nine. When people think of the Roaring Twenties they think of flappers, extravagant parties, and cool cars. Behind all that, the 20’s had something weighing it down, Prohibition. When Congress passed the 18th Amendment it banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. At first this law was supposed to be the saving grace of America. With this law in place people would no longer show up to work drunk and men wouldn’t come home drunk and abuse their wives and children. The 18th Amendment was meant to take away all these problems within America. It soon became apparent that prohibition was more of an issue than a saving grace.
There had been a few states in the past that had created their own form of Prohibition. There were many states during the Civil War that had such laws in place. Also during WWI President Woodrow Wilson put in a temporary Prohibition to preserve the grain they had. Temperance had always been an underlying issue in America, many religious groups believed there should be a law put in place banning alcohol. Not even the fundamentalists groups could expect what Prohibition would do to America. …show more content…
People were either all for prohibition or completely against it. What sparked the amount of violence that would come from the law, was the horrible enforcement of it. Some areas enforced the law more than others. This lax enforcement made it possible for people to begin bending the amendment itself. People began making alcohol in their own homes, known as moonshine. People wanted their alcohol and they found any way to get it. Selling, making and buying alcohol, became one of the biggest illegal businesses in
The 1920’s was a time of optimism and hope. America had just helped win World War I and everyone was on cloud nine. When people think of the Roaring Twenties they think of flappers, extravagant parties, and cool cars. Behind all that, the 20’s had something weighing it down, Prohibition. When Congress passed the 18th Amendment it banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. At first this law was supposed to be the saving grace of America. With this law in place people would no longer show up to work drunk and men wouldn’t come home drunk and abuse their wives and children. The 18th Amendment was meant to take away all these problems within America. It soon became apparent that prohibition was more of an issue than a saving grace.
There had been a few states in the past that had created their own form of Prohibition. There were many states during the Civil War that had such laws in place. Also during WWI President Woodrow Wilson put in a temporary Prohibition to preserve the grain they had. Temperance had always been an underlying issue in America, many religious groups believed there should be a law put in place banning alcohol. Not even the fundamentalists groups could expect what Prohibition would do to America. …show more content…
People were either all for prohibition or completely against it. What sparked the amount of violence that would come from the law, was the horrible enforcement of it. Some areas enforced the law more than others. This lax enforcement made it possible for people to begin bending the amendment itself. People began making alcohol in their own homes, known as moonshine. People wanted their alcohol and they found any way to get it. Selling, making and buying alcohol, became one of the biggest illegal businesses in