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Essay paper temperance movement
Prohibition and temperance politically, socially, and economically
Essay paper temperance movement
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The attitudes about alcohol began to change with the initiation of the temperance movement. This movement was centered around the belief that drunkenness is considered sinful, and highlighted the negatives of addiction. This led to an exploration of cures for alcoholism, and the causes behind it. Later, the focus shifted to drugs and the legislation surrounding it. Stricter codes were made for the packaging and distribution of drugs such as cocaine and opium, thanks to the development of the Food and Drug Administration. As history continues the focus just continues to change. Further, at some points alcohol is the focus, other times the focus is on drugs, specifically the popularity of certain drugs arising, such as marijuana. As the issue
One of the biggest controversies of the twentieth century is the eighteenth amendment. Mississippi was the first state to pass the bill of prohibition. From there on out the entire country followed in Mississippi’s lead in the crusade of prohibition. The eighteenth amendment was a law, which tried to reform and protect the American people against alcohol, as some called, “the devil’s advocate”. The outcome of prohibition was more negative than positive and reeked more havoc than good on the American society.
Although the temperance movement was concerned with the habitual drunk, its primary goal was total abstinence and the elimination of liquor. With the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the well-organized and powerful political organizations, utilizing no holds barred political tactics, successfully accomplished their goal. Prohibition became the law of the land on January 16, 1920; the manufacturing, importation, and sale of alcohol was no longer legal in the United States. Through prohibition, America embarked on what became labeled “the Nobel Experiment.” However, instead of having social redeeming values as ordained, prohibition had the opposite effect of its intended purpose, becoming a catastrophic failure.
The prohibition of alcohol in the United States lasted from 1920 until 1932. The movement began in the late nineteenth century, and was fueled by the formation of the Anti-Saloon League in 1893 (Why Prohibition?). This league and other anti-alcohol organizations, began to succeed in establishing local prohibition laws. By the 1920's prohibition was a national effort.
During the duration of this paper, I will discuss an issue that has been controversial for over a century; prohibition and how it has effected, currently effects, and will, most likey, continue to effect American society. The aspects that I choose to address from this issue are political, historical, they make you wonder, and they should effect anyone who reads this paper. For decades, the American government has had a restriction or ban on drugs and alcohol. Also for decades, these restrictions have been met with resistance from our society. In the early twentieth century, from 1920 through 1933, it was the prohibition of alcohol. A corrupt time, in which, so called, "criminals" and law makers both manufactured and sold bootlegged alcohol. There was high demand then and everyone was in it for the money, everyone. A time which proved to be a failed attempt by the government to take away what is now one of the United States' top commodities. During the 1970's President Richard Nixon started an ongoing "war on drugs" and every president since Nixon has continued this fight to, somehow, rid the entire country of illicit drugs. Today, a few states have taken a new approach to one of these drugs and eyebrows are being raised to the war on drugs all together. States, such as, California, Washington, and Calorado have loosened their tight grip on prohibiting marijuana and even have medical marijuana dispenseries. This idea has been proven to have boosted those economies, and it has allowed people with cancer to use a medication that actually gives them comfort. However, marijuana is still illegal. Why would we restrict the nation from something that beneficial...
The desire to control alcohol consumption, or advocate temperance, has been a goal of humanity throughout countless periods of history. Many countries have organized temperance movements, including Australia, Canada, Britain, Denmark, Poland, and of course, the United States. The American temperance movement was the most widespread reform movement of the 19th century, culminating in laws that completely banned the sale of all alcoholic beverages. The movement progressed from its humble local roots to nationwide organizations with millions of members and large amounts of political power. The growth of the temperance movement resulted from the changes in society between the original American settlers and the post-Revolutionary War citizens.
The Temperance Movement was aimed to promote abstinence from alcohol, to criticize those who consumed alcohol, and political influence was often used as well. It focused on abolishing alcohol consumption completely. Political influence was important because it led to laws that limited and regulated alcohol that eventually led to prohibition. “Temperance reformers typically were evangelical Protestants who regarded alcoholic beverages as harmful and even sinful for the individual drinker and for society at large. Supposedly, drink destroyed families and reputations and brought about poverty, disorder, and crime.” (Fahey, 2013) This movement stated that alcohol was dangerous for everyone. They believed that all individuals who drank would lose control of their drinking habits and would start encountering problems as a result of drinking. The Temperance Movement was just the beginning of what would eventually become the Eighteenth Amendment of the United States. The movement was be...
Nowadays, the modern problem that closely mirrors the Prohibition is the war on drugs. Their illegal manufacture and sale is similar to the manufacture and sale of alcohol during the Prohibition. History repeats itself. Works Cited for: Currie, Stephen. Prohibition.
However, before the specific outcomes of Congressional influence and policy impact can be evaluated it becomes important to first review the general history and current situation of drugs today. Our present drug laws were first enacted at the beginning of the century. At the time, recreational use of narcotics was not a major social issue. The first regulatory legislation was for the purpose of standardizing the manufacturing and purity of pharmaceutical products. Shortly after, the first criminal laws were enacted which addressed opium products and cocaine. Although some states had prohibited the recreational use of marijuana, there was no federal criminal legislation until 1937. By contrast, the use of alcohol and its legality was a major social issue in United States in the early 20th century. This temperance movement culminated in the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Recreational drug use, particularly heroin, became more prevalent among the urban poor during the early ?60s. Because of the high cost of heroin and its uncertain purity, its use was associated with crime and frequent overdoses.
Ethan Nadelman first states that the “Global War on Drugs can be Won.” Needless to say, the “Drug-Free World” and “Alcohol-Free World” are viewed as completely different realistic goals in which one could achieve. Drug-Free World would be a lot harder task for one to accomplish due to the number of addicts who are incapable of stopping, even if it continues to kill their bodies. Drug use has been a bigger problem than alcohol use, mainly because it is harming the human bodies of all races with dangerous diseases. Alcohol, on the other hand, may cause a bit of damage to the body (in severe cases, alcohol poisoning), but not merely as the damage brought upon by the drug usage. Therefore, a Drug-Free World may be a harder goal to achieve than an Alcohol-Free World. Also, politician are on the verge of eliminating drugs from the Earth, despite the fact that majority of the people are spending their money on drugs rather than quitting. When the manufacturing of illegal drugs terminate, the percentage of people sent to jail may decrease substantially. In add...
Economic and Social Effects of Prohibition There are many ways in which prohibition of alcohol consumption in the United States of America, damaged the very economic and social aspects of American culture, that it was. designed to heal the body. “Prohibition did not achieve its goals”. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve.”
The prohibition on alcohol seemed to achieve more success than the temperance movement of the previous century because the prohibition was a political movement, prohibiting the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. On the other hand the Temperance movement was more of a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The temperance movement was based on opinions, people’s beliefs and even religion. The temperance movement was a temporary fix because for example, Carrie Nation started the hatchet movement, in which she and hundreds of women and some men went around to towns in Kansas and destroyed saloon after saloon. Carrie Nation hoped her movement would spread across the country and swipe away all the saloons in the country but instead it died out and saloon owners just rebuild and repaired their businesses and continued to sell alcohol. Another example is the Women’s Crusade were women across the country would pray in front of the saloons hoping the owners would shut their businesses down, but that didn’t affect the owners sell of alcohol nor the customers
Prohibition popularly known as The Noble Experiment, in that it was, fell short of its goals drastically. The thirteen years prohibition was active in the United States are thought to have done the most damage to the country. The infancy of prohibition was known as the Temperance Movement planted the idea over 100 years prior, in result prohibition was added to the constitution becoming the Eighteenth Amendment. Nevertheless The Noble Experiment came to an end when the Twenty First Amendment was added repealing the Eighteenth Amendment.
Alcohol Awareness, also known as temperance, has been an issue that dates back throughout American ...
Alcohol and drug abuse is one of biggest problems in United States today. It is not only a personal problem that dramatically affects individuals' lives, but is a major social problem that affects society as whole. "Drug and alcohol abuse", these phrases we hear daily on the radio, television or in discussions of social problem. But what do they mean or what do we think and understand by it? Most of us don't really view drug or alcohol use as a problem, if that includes your grandmother taking two aspirins when she has a headache or your friends having few beers or drinks on Saturday night. What we really mean is that some drugs or alcohol are being used by some people or in some situations constitute problem with which our society must deal. It becomes a real problem when using or I should say abusing drugs cause accidents, antisocial behavior, broken relationships, family instability, crime and violence, poverty, unsafe streets and highways, worker absenteeism and nonproductivity, and the most tragic one death. The situation in which the drug or alcohol uses accurse often makes all the difference. The clearest example is the drinking of alcohol, when individual begins to drink during the job, at school, or in the morning, we have evidence that indicates a potential drinking problem. If a person takes narcotic drug because he just wrecked his knee while his physician prescribed playing football and the drug, most of us would be not concerned. If, on the other hand, he took the same drug on his own just because he likes the way it makes him feel, then we should begin to worry about him developing dependence. Even use of illegal drugs are sometimes acceptable, but it also depends on situation, for example in some countries smoking marijuana is legal just like drinking alcohol in United States. Some subcultures even in United States that accept the use of illegal drugs may distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable situation, some college age groups might accept marijuana smoking at a party on weekends, but not just before going to a calculus class. Most of people would accept a fact that a bartender or a waiter who is working at a night club is having a beer or a drink on his break or that a landscape worker is having a cold beer with his lunch on a hot summer day. I'm not saying that it is "OK" but we wouldn't complain a...
Most people have been through a certain time in their life where they wanted to throw in the towel; even the thought of trying anymore was too much to fathom. This phase in an endeavor separates the strong from the weak. What is it that makes the strong push though this point and the weak to fall away? Some may say that certain people have an easier time being able to push through physical or emotional hardship, however that may be true, but that is not is not an excuse to give up everyone has the capability to exhibit perseverance along with restraint. Temperance is a vital trait that allows us to maintain self-control but it can be a grueling task to uphold.