How Did The Anti-Prohibition Corrupt The Government

1197 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Argumentive statements on prohibition

On December 17, 1917 The House of Representatives approved the 18th amendment which seized the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol, and which was soon approved by the Senate. America was officially dry and people had mixed feelings about it. Before prohibition there were numerous problems like corruption, crime, worker safety and child abuse. Workers would come to work drunk or not show up, and this would place a bad image on American businesses. Also, many men were spending all their money on alcohol when the country needed all their resources so they can fight against Europe. Prohibition was enforced through the volstead acts and was a way of cleaning up life and the cities in America. What persuaded America to reconsider Prohibition? …show more content…

In the political cartoon by Winsor McCay he depicted Uncle Sam as the government who is engaged with anti- prohibitionists like bootleggers, racketeers, gangsters and dope sellers. The image is of all these people joined together happily holding hands. This image represent the connection the government has with anti-prohibitionists. Despite they are the ones that made the prohibition law they still participate in drinking alcohol and being with these bad guys. This picture represents how corrupt the government is and how they are going against the laws to fulfill their personal needs that others have too. The government is seen as hypocrites because they are the ones jailing and punishing those who go against the laws when they themselves are participating in illegal activities with bad people. (Document A). In addition, in the document Respect for the law/ Two-Tiered Justice by Mabel Walker Willebrandt she explains how unjust the government treats people who goes against the law by punishing them, when the government is engaging with people like bootleggers. It is shown that Mabel realizes how unfair the treatment is to anti-probitionsitlists. Why do they have to go to jail and be fined when they are not the only ones doing the crime. It’s not fair to punish one person for doing something that another person is also doing. The government should respect their own laws they abide by. If they say something should be a law then it should be expected that they of all people follow that law. But if they are punishing others and not themselves for going against the law it represents how corrupt the government is getting. (Document D). The government officials failed to follow their own law by going against it and because Prohibition was so corrupt there was no way it was going to

Show More
Related

  • Prohibition: Why Did America Change Its Mind?

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    The final reason America changed its mind about the Prohibition was because repealing the Amendment would create economic opportunities. If the liquor that was being sold by bootleggers was legally sold it could be taxed. The tax income could pay the interest on the entire local and national debt, and the US would be able to save the rest of the money (Doc E). Since at the time the US was in a depression, the money was in dire need. Repealing Prohibition seemed like the best solution to help the people and the

    Read More

  • How Did The 18th Amendment Change America

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1920 following the ratification of the 18th amendment the country became dry. The 18th amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, import, or export drinking alcohol. It would stay this way for a little more than a decade, which became known as the prohibition. Prohibition was a way to clean up the cities and improving the conditions of the US. Prohibition was approved because drinking was thought be a drag on the economy and the leading cause for some of the country's problems such as corruption, child abuse, crime, and unemployment. Fourteen years later in 1932 America had changed its mind and it was repealed. So what changed? The American people had changed their minds about the 18th amendment because crime had increased,

    Read More

  • DBQ Prohibition Essay

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    “There'd never been a more advantageous time to be a criminal in America than during the 13 years of Prohibition. At a stroke, the American government closed down the fifth largest industry in the United States - alcohol production - and just handed it to criminals - a pretty remarkable thing to do.-Bill Bryson” The prohibition act,also known as the 18th amendment, was a law that the American Government enforced to ban liquor because congress believed alcohol was a huge factor of a drag on economy. The prohibition took place during the Great Depression era which was between 1920 to 1933. Why was the prohibition of alcohol was repealed? The 18th amendment was repealed for several reasons. The prohibition increased criminal activities, the government can earn money by taxing liquor and it was utterly impossible to control thousands of borders for surveillance.

    Read More

  • Prohibition DBQ Essay

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, many saw alcohol as a cause of instability among communities. To counteract the effects of alcohol on American society, The Temperance Movement, Prohibition Party and many others sought to enact anti-liquor laws that would prohibit the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. On January 19, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment had taken effect and a nationwide ban on alcohol was enacted. This was thought of as a solution to the many problems that America had at the time, but it only made matters worse. The American society had been greatly affected by the Eighteenth Amendment in many negative aspects such as increasing crime and violence, worsening the economy, and much more.

    Read More

  • Prohibition Era: A Mistake Remembered in the Roaring 20's

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States and our government has been shaped entirely from its past. We have learned right from wrong, what has worked and what has failed. The 1920s was a time in our country where the government created a law that upset the people. This decade is often referred to as The Roaring 20’s, The Jazz Age, The Prohibition Era, The Cocktail Era, etc. All these names perfectly describe this time, but it was also a time to learn from the mistake of creating a law that prohibited alcohol. This law played such a huge role in the decade, and has been forever remembered. The Great Gatsby is a romance novel that also hints on the time of prohibition. F. Scott Fitzgerald talked greatly about alcohol and the part it took in The Roaring 20 's. Though

    Read More

  • The Backlash of Prohibition

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Prohibition - 'The Noble Experiment'

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prohibition was designed to rid the country of businesses that manufactured, sold, and or distributed alcoholic beverages. The eighteenth amendment made it a violation of the constitution to do and of the before mentioned. This was a crime punishable up to the Supreme Court. The original idea was that Americans as a whole were unhealthy, there was too much crime and corruption, and that people were being burdened by excess taxes that poorhouses and prisons were creating. What happened? The cheap alcohol being illegally produced killed more Americans, crime and corruption went up, taxes were raised to fund the law enforcement needed to enforce prohibition, and the prisons became overcrowded.

    Read More

  • Economic and Social Effects of Prohibition

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was apparent that Prohibition didn’t achieve its goals, instead, it added to the existing economic and social problems, as well as creating new problems that would be prominent in today’s society. Organized crime grew into an empire, disrespect for the law grew, the per capita consumption of alcohol increased dramatically, city officials fell to gangsters, and the government lost money. It is obvious that prohibition was a miserable failure from all points of view. Reasonable measures were not taken to enforce the laws, so they were practically ignored.

    Read More

  • The Success and Failure of the Prohibition

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Small-scale legislation had been passed in several states, but no national laws had been enacted. On January 29, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by Congress; it banned the sale and manufacture of alcohol; however the consumption of alcohol remained legal.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • The Hopes and Realities of Prohibition

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hopes of the prohibitionist were dreams of a healthier and more successful nation. Their dreams were spun from the idea of shutting out the alcohol industry and enforcing large industries and stressing family values. The eighteenth amendment consisted of the end of sales, production, transportation, as for importation and exportation of intoxicating liquors. Their imaginations were large and very hopeful. The prohibitionists felt that alcohol is a slow poison of their community. They felt that if the liquor industry was shut out that Americans would spend their hard earned money in the clothing, food, and shoe industries therefore boosting the American economy. Many felt, “Seeing what a sober nation can do is indeed a noble experiment and one that has never yet been tried, (Crowther, 11) Prohibition was a test of the strength of the nation and an attempt at cleaning up societies evils. These reformers denounce alcohol as a danger to society as well as to the human body. Some ethnic hopes of prohibition was to regulate the foreigners whose backgrounds consisted on the use of alcohol for religious purposes. And try to enforce an American valued society upon them. Many reformists felt that ending the use of alcohol would protect American homes and families. They felt that alcohol use was the root of their family’s destruction. Many women felt that their husbands would waste a lot of their income on the purchase of alcohol and not on family needs. Alcohol was often known as a “poison, or sin”. Another hope for the eighteenth amendment was to reduce the crime and death rate. Many people felt that drunkenness was the cause of many of the nations crimes. Prohibitionist felt very passionately on their cause and were often called “dry’s.” They felt their battle was justified and that, “it is manifest destiny that alcohol will not survive the scrutiny,”(Darrow and Yarros, 20).

    Read More

  • Prohibition

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    The introduction of prohibition in 1919 created numerous opinions and issues in American society. Prohibition has been a long-standing issue in America, with groups promoting it since the late eighteenth century. The movement grew tremendously during the nineteenth century. When the United States entered World War 1 in 1914, there was a shortage of grain due to the long demands to feed the soldiers. Since grain is one of the major components in alcohol, the temperance movement now had the war to fuel their fight. Thus, the war played a large part in the introduction of Prohibition. During the net five years many states enacted their own prohibition laws, and finally, on December 16,1919, Amendment 18 went into effect. It states that, “…the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors…. For beverage purpose is hereby prohibited.”(Constitution)

    Read More

  • Prohibition Argumentative Essay

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prohibition made plethora of people furious at the government for passing the Eighteenth Amendment. Not only people were mad but also beer companies were mad. In this time of Prohibition citizens did not want to follow the governments laws. They wanted to drink alcohol. The citizens rebelled and they started buying it illegally. However, The Eighteenth Amendment did not directly state it was illegal to consume or have private possession Alcohol .

    Read More

  • Prohibition and the Birth of Organized Crime

    2133 Words  | 5 Pages

    Prohibition in the United States was a measure designed to reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages. The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took away license to do business from the brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. The leaders of the prohibition movement were alarmed at the drinking behavior of Americans, and they were concerned that there was a culture of drink among some sectors of the population that, with continuing immigration from Europe, was spreading (“Why Prohibition” 2). Between 1860 and 1880 America's urban population grew from 6 million to more than 14 million people. The mass of this huge increase found itself toiling in factories and sweatshops and living in horrible social conditions; getting drunk was there only highlight in life.

    Read More

  • Prohibition And Prohibition Essay

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the National Prohibition Act, known as the Volstead Act, enacted on the year 1919 was designed to support the 18th amendment of the constitution, American leaders often times found it difficult to enforce the Prohibition Act. The act was enacted to “prohibit intoxicated beverages and to regulate the manufacture, production, use and sale of high proof spirits for other than beverage purposes…” The newly enacted prohibition act was brought forward to aid the American leaders to enforce the 18th amendment to the constitution. The idea was to have the working class collaborate with the constitution regulations towards enforcing this new law. This act impacted the way that government regulated society on a daily basis. While attempting to continue to enforce the National Prohibition Act, often times government leaders found themselves seeking new ways to prevent the smuggling and trafficking of alcohol.

    Read More

  • The Start of Gangsterism/ Organized Crime because of Prohibition

    1999 Words  | 4 Pages

    Prohibition in the United States lasted about 14 years from 1920 to 1933. “Prohibition was the period in United States history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors was outlawed.” . Intoxicating liquors were beginning to ruin the lives of some Americans and it became banned. “Prohibition, members of the Temperance movement urged, would stop husbands from spending all the family income on alcohol and prevent accidents in the workplace caused by workers who drank during lunch” . Alcohol was beginning to tear families apart and some wanted to finally outlaw all of the alcohol which would make life easier. In the beginning organizations pushed moderation, but after some decades the organizations’ focus’ turned into the idea of complete prohibition . Although the idea of total prohibition was far-fetched it eventually began. The 18th amendment brought about complete prohibition to all of the United States, with this amendment prohibition in the United States was finally established.

    Read More

More about How Did The Anti-Prohibition Corrupt The Government

Open Document