U.S. Prohibition Era: Causes, Loopholes, and Legacy

The Prohibition Era: A Brief Background

Prohibition is a defining chapter in the history of the United States, during which the government implemented a nationwide ban on the consumption and sale of alcohol. Although it seems archaic and puzzling today — since most countries permit alcohol consumption — for thirteen years it was considered illegal to buy, sell, or consume alcohol in the United States. A time of bootleggers and social Progressives, the Prohibition Era shocked the nation, revealing just how deeply ingrained the desire to drink was among American citizens. It was also a period that prompted serious reflection on alcohol consumption and, in retrospect, on what had caused the activity to be outlawed in the first place.

The Prohibition Era in the United States lasted from 1920 to 1933. On January 1, 1920, national Prohibition took effect through the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The driving force behind the national ban on alcohol was the perceived effect that alcoholism had on society. Many proponents of Prohibition viewed alcoholism as a cause of increased family violence, addiction, and political corruption. As a result, during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, pockets of communities across the United States began enforcing alcohol prohibition. Those who supported it viewed the movement as a victory for public health and ethics.

Nonetheless, what may have seemed like a great moral victory soon became a dangerous catalyst for advancing the power of street gangs. "By eliminating legitimate suppliers of a commodity in high public demand, the state created a monopoly for illegitimate entrepreneurs. It was Prohibition that converted small, localized gangs into large, powerful, and wealthy regional and even national organized criminal syndicates." (Hagan 32) Street gangs produced and sold bootleg liquor for enormous profits, as customers purchased alcohol regardless of the laws prohibiting it. Although Progressives celebrated the implementation of Prohibition, within a few years the very fears that had inspired it were exacerbated by the widespread problem of bootlegging.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union

"Dry" crusaders represented the movement launched by social Progressives and pietistic Protestants. The organization that established the foundation for the cause and brought it to national attention was the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The WCTU was one of the first organizations dedicated to social reform that applied Christian principles to set the moral standards it believed the country should uphold. Activities such as women's suffrage and missionary work marked the early phase of the temperance organization, with Prohibition representing its most significant campaign. After 1900, the push for Prohibition was largely channeled through the Anti-Saloon League, and it was then that legislation began to shift in favor of a federal ban on alcohol sales and consumption.

As previously noted, supporters of the ban believed alcohol contributed to broader social problems. Members of the WCTU held that alcoholism was not a personal failing or weakness but rather a societal problem that could only be resolved by outlawing alcohol entirely. Alcohol was not even the WCTU's first target; the organization began in 1885 by promoting anti-tobacco literature, a campaign that continued into the 1950s. Historians and researchers generally agree that without the WCTU's support, the temperance movement would not have gained sufficient momentum to result in a national ban on alcohol. However, as with most laws, there were loopholes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the national banning of alcohol sales and consumption was ultimately driven by a call to morality. Social Progressives of the era sought to make alcohol illegal because they viewed it as a primary cause of moral decay in their society. Alcoholism was not regarded as a personal failing of the individual but rather as a growing societal problem that had to be addressed through government action. However, such measures carried significant negative consequences for the country and its citizens.

Many Americans who lived through Prohibition continued to consume alcohol through two primary means. The first was through the legal loophole that permitted families to produce up to 200 gallons of "fruit juice" or wine for personal use. The second was through the bootlegging operations run by street gangs, which dramatically increased organized crime and the power of criminal enterprises. Bootleggers charged premium prices for illegal alcohol, faced limited national opposition, and saw their profits and influence grow substantially. Although America's Prohibition Era was intended to curb immoral behavior, it had the opposite effect, enabling further moral and social decay rather than preventing it.

Engs, Ruth C. The Progressive Era's Health Reform Movement: A Historical Dictionary. Praeger, 2003.

Hagan, Frank E. Introduction to Criminology: Theories, Methods, and Criminal Behavior. SAGE Publications, 2012.

Robertson, Carol. The Little Red Book of Wine Law: A Case of Legal Studies. American Bar Association, 2008.