Did people in the USA approve of Prohibition between the years of 1920-1933? Explain your answer.
It is difficult to determine whether politicians approved of prohibition because there are many different groups of politicians and many politicians changed their views over time. A particular group, the Anti-Saloon League, founded in 1893 blamed alcohol for almost all family conflicts claiming that Alcoholic drinks were “un-American, pro-German, crime-producing, food-wasting, youth-corrupting, home-wrecking and treasonable”. In 1920 this group supported prohibition. This caused many of the major political parties who may not have approved of prohibition before, to adopt some prohibitionist policies in order to gain the votes of prohibitionists. Also many of the prohibitionists depicted politicians who failed to support prohibition as people who were supporting crime and immorality. These anti-saloon leagues were very successful in Protestant, rural areas where there was a great struggle between traditional and modern values. At around 1920, most politicians approved of prohibition. However, after prohibition was introduced and the effects of it were felt, many politicians began to change their views. This was largely due to the negative effects of prohibition, such as the increase in crime, corruption and gang warfare. But, also due to the fact that many voters had changed their opinions and were against prohibition. Therefore it seems that as time progressed many of the people in the USA did not approve of prohibition, particularly towards the end of the period between 1920-1933.
To determine whether people did approve of prohibition between 1920 – 1933 is a very complex issue, because it is a long period of time, where people’s opinions can change. The effect of prohibition on gang warfare, crime and corruption was one of the factors that caused several people to change their opinions on prohibition. After the Volstead Act, prohibiting alcohol was passed; the alcohol trade was driven underground and this caused urban societies to be more corrupt as gangsters who controlled the black market for alcohol were very powerful. This made some people in cities feel negatively about prohibition as people felt the law was not properly enforced and as a result caused many people to change their views to become against prohibition. Gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran had gang feuds such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that claimed people’s lives. These murders were another factor that caused several people to change their views to become against prohibition. The underground alcohol trade also increased the crime rates. For example, the number of arrests almost doubled from 34,175 in 1921 to 66,878 in 1929. This increase in crime made the public feel uneasy about the law and thus changed their opinions to become against prohibition. Citizens were also trying to get around the law, by smuggling alcohol (bootlegging) and brewing their own alcohol, also the presence of over 250,000 speakeasies prove that many people were going against prohibition and the Volstead act. The existence of such a large number of speakeasies and the large number of people actively involved in bootlegging shows that many people did not approve of prohibition from the very beginning in 1920. From this we can tell that many people disapproved of prohibition from the beginning as they were involved in the smuggling while many others, who were originally for prohibition, after seeing its affects on crime, corruption and gang warfare changed their views over the period of 1920-1933 so that they disapproved of prohibition.
To determine whether people did approve of prohibition between 1920 – 1933 is a very complex issue, because it is a long period of time, where people’s opinions can change. The effect of prohibition on gang warfare, crime and corruption was one of the factors that caused several people to change their opinions on prohibition. After the Volstead Act, prohibiting alcohol was passed; the alcohol trade was driven underground and this caused urban societies to be more corrupt as gangsters who controlled the black market for alcohol were very powerful. This made some people in cities feel negatively about prohibition as people felt the law was not properly enforced and as a result caused many people to change their views to become against prohibition. Gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran had gang feuds such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that claimed people’s lives. These murders were another factor that caused several people to change their views to become against prohibition. The underground alcohol trade also increased the crime rates. For example, the number of arrests almost doubled from 34,175 in 1921 to 66,878 in 1929. This increase in crime made the public feel uneasy about the law and thus changed their opinions to become against prohibition. Citizens were also trying to get around the law, by smuggling alcohol (bootlegging) and brewing their own alcohol, also the presence of over 250,000 speakeasies prove that many people were going against prohibition and the Volstead act. The existence of such a large number of speakeasies and the large number of people actively involved in bootlegging shows that many people did not approve of prohibition from the very beginning in 1920. From this we can tell that many people disapproved of prohibition from the beginning as they were involved in the smuggling while many others, who were originally for prohibition, after seeing its affects on crime, corruption and gang warfare changed their views over the period of 1920-1933 so that they disapproved of prohibition.
For ethical and moral reasons, the Christian church largely backed prohibition. However, the complexity of this issue is shown as even in the church where there is a mixture of views for and against prohibition. There was particularly a divide between Catholics and Protestants and their views on alcohol. Typically the Protestants were for prohibition and the Catholics were against it. One of the main reasons for this was because many of the Catholics had Irish or German backgrounds and it was part of their culture to consume alcohol. Protestants on the other hand, saw alcohol as a natural threat and many blamed it for the social conflicts. A particular group of Protestants, the Ku Klux Klan approved of prohibition, not only for moral reasons, but because they were completely racist and did not want many of the foreign people or people who had foreign ethnic backgrounds to make profit out of the trade of alcohol. Also as World War I had just ended, there was still some tension between Americans and Germans; alcohol was considered pro German and was not approved of. This would suggest that some Christians, particularly Protestants, supported prohibition between the years 1920-1933 while others, particularly Catholics opposed prohibition.
Determining whether women in the USA approved of prohibition between 1920 – 1933 is a very complex issue as there were many different groups of women holding different views on prohibition, and it is over a large time period where many women changed their views. In general, it was thought that most women were in favour of prohibition. Originally most housewives and women from rural areas supported prohibition as the lack of alcohol meant that husbands would not spend lots of money on drinking and would now have more time for work. Evidence of this is shown in a propaganda poster, which depicts several women with the caption “lips that touch alcohol shall not touch ours”. Despite this, many of these women began to change their minds after prohibition was introduced because their husbands turned to illegal drinking and many of them consumed industrially made alcohol (moonshine) which had toxic industrial chemicals that could often blind or even kill people. This left many of the women widowed or with husbands who were unable to work. As a result many of these women became against prohibition and did not approve of it after seeing its effects. Despite the horrific effects of prohibition, there were still a few women, who still approved of prohibition because of the social problems they thought alcohol caused. On the other hand, there was a group of middle and upper class young women, who were against prohibition from the start. These women were typically from urban areas and were referred to as flappers. They opposed prohibition as they enjoyed consuming alcohol themselves and it was a part of their ‘modern’ lifestyle. These ‘flappers’ did not change their views through the period, and continued to be against prohibition. Women in the USA were a group of people who largely started out supporting prohibition in 1920 but as they experienced bad side effects of illegal drinking, they changed their views by 1933 and some felt it would be better if alcohol was made legal again while some ‘flappers’ had been completely against prohibition from 1920-1933.
It is very difficult to determine whether industrialists in the USA were for or against prohibition due to the complexity of the issue and the large time period in which many industrialists changed their views. Many industrialists approved of prohibition as they felt that alcohol ruined the working performance of many of their employees. They believed that business, industry and finance would be more profitable and efficient if alcohol was withheld from their workers. Proof of this was John D. Rockefeller an American industrialist who supported prohibition by helping to finance it by donating over $350,000 to the cause. However in 1932 Rockefeller said: “When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be supported by public opinion. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.” Rockefeller admits that prohibition was a failure and many other industrialists like him began to disapprove of prohibition. On the other hand industries such as breweries were closed down as a result of prohibition and many of the industrialists involved in these breweries opposed prohibition from the very beginning as it left them unemployed without means of supporting themselves and their families. Many other industrialists also began to disapprove of prohibition after the negative effects of illegal drinking, particularly when some of their workers became blind or even dead as a result of consuming moonshine. Furthermore after the Great Depression that followed the Wall Street Crash in 1929, many industrialists became in favour of alcohol and supported the breweries as they felt brewing alcohol would produce more jobs and reduce the mass unemployment. This suggests that industrialists were a divided group. Some had originally been in favour of prohibition and slowly changed their minds by 1929, whereas others, particularly brewers hand opposed prohibition from the start.
Overall, the opinion of the American people on the prohibition of alcohol between 1920 and 1933 has proved to be a very complex issue largely due to the changing attitudes of different demographics within the country. Different groups of people had different views about the prohibition. Generally in 1920, when the Volstead Act was passed most people in the USA approved of it. People were feeling tense after the war and many different groups supported prohibition as a result, particularly those who were anti-German, needed more food, and saw drinking as un-American. Many people seemed to believe that prohibition would be good for the country as it would make society more wholesome and moral. However, as time progressed, it was evident this was not the case. Many people started to feel negatively as they realised prohibition did not have a lot of positive effects and it had not achieved any of the aims of building a more moral society. From 1920 to 1933 there was an increase in crime, corruption, gang warfare and illegal activity. Many previously law abiding citizens started to drink illegally and became unwell due to the effects of substandard and poorly made alcohol. This made most people change their minds about prohibition and disapprove of it. After the Great Depression and the high levels of unemployment even more people began to disapprove of prohibition. In conclusion, people in the USA seemed to approve of Prohibition in 1920, but as time passed and the effects of prohibition were seen it is evident that during the time between 1920 and 1933, most people in the USA did not approve of Prohibition.
It is very difficult to determine whether industrialists in the USA were for or against prohibition due to the complexity of the issue and the large time period in which many industrialists changed their views. Many industrialists approved of prohibition as they felt that alcohol ruined the working performance of many of their employees. They believed that business, industry and finance would be more profitable and efficient if alcohol was withheld from their workers. Proof of this was John D. Rockefeller an American industrialist who supported prohibition by helping to finance it by donating over $350,000 to the cause. However in 1932 Rockefeller said: “When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be supported by public opinion. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.” Rockefeller admits that prohibition was a failure and many other industrialists like him began to disapprove of prohibition. On the other hand industries such as breweries were closed down as a result of prohibition and many of the industrialists involved in these breweries opposed prohibition from the very beginning as it left them unemployed without means of supporting themselves and their families. Many other industrialists also began to disapprove of prohibition after the negative effects of illegal drinking, particularly when some of their workers became blind or even dead as a result of consuming moonshine. Furthermore after the Great Depression that followed the Wall Street Crash in 1929, many industrialists became in favour of alcohol and supported the breweries as they felt brewing alcohol would produce more jobs and reduce the mass unemployment. This suggests that industrialists were a divided group. Some had originally been in favour of prohibition and slowly changed their minds by 1929, whereas others, particularly brewers hand opposed prohibition from the start.
Overall, the opinion of the American people on the prohibition of alcohol between 1920 and 1933 has proved to be a very complex issue largely due to the changing attitudes of different demographics within the country. Different groups of people had different views about the prohibition. Generally in 1920, when the Volstead Act was passed most people in the USA approved of it. People were feeling tense after the war and many different groups supported prohibition as a result, particularly those who were anti-German, needed more food, and saw drinking as un-American. Many people seemed to believe that prohibition would be good for the country as it would make society more wholesome and moral. However, as time progressed, it was evident this was not the case. Many people started to feel negatively as they realised prohibition did not have a lot of positive effects and it had not achieved any of the aims of building a more moral society. From 1920 to 1933 there was an increase in crime, corruption, gang warfare and illegal activity. Many previously law abiding citizens started to drink illegally and became unwell due to the effects of substandard and poorly made alcohol. This made most people change their minds about prohibition and disapprove of it. After the Great Depression and the high levels of unemployment even more people began to disapprove of prohibition. In conclusion, people in the USA seemed to approve of Prohibition in 1920, but as time passed and the effects of prohibition were seen it is evident that during the time between 1920 and 1933, most people in the USA did not approve of Prohibition.
this post was originally written by Laura Pasteur
