Prohibition :: essays research papers

PROHIBITION Paragraph 1: What it is, How it came about. Prohibition is considered as a period of time in the 1920’s when alcohol was controlled by the government. Alcohol, at this time in history, was illegal unless for medical or industrial purposes. This government control came about because of the fact that people were drinking too much and â€Å"destroying the moral fiber of America.† (Martin 76). Protestant congregations and women’s groups also wished to eliminate the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol has been part of American society since the colonist came over on the Mayflower. At that time, alcohol was safer to drink that the contaminated water or unpasteurized milk, and cheaper than tea or coffee imported from India and Spain. As time went on and technology improved, the need for alcohol diminished greatly. Political leaders at this time were seeing alcohol as a public curse. Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying â€Å"Alcohol . . . used by everybody, repudiated by nobody† (Cashman 68). Paragraph 2: The Enforcement Before the turn of the century, alcohol abuse was getting out of control. Employees were forced to pay the many liquor-related accidents that occurred at work. Saloons, outnumbering schools, libraries, hospitals, theaters, parks or churches (ns.headroyce 1), were everywhere and competing for the drinker’s money. These saloons had prostitutes, permitted gambling, sold alcohol to minors, encouraged violence and public drunkenness, and were believed to corrupt the local government into passing laws in favor of them. 1873, the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASL) formed to inform people about the harms of alcohol abuse. These people would march from church to the saloons with bibles and prayer. An onlooker was noted as saying, â€Å"These people have a noble cause at heart and the means to accomplish was needs to be done† (Martin 97). At the turn of the century, the ASL, along with similar groups, voted members into Congress with overwhelming support. By 1917, over two-third s of the members in Congress were ASL-supported. These members passed laws toward nationwide prohibition. Paragraph 3: The End In 1919, all 48 states ratified the 18 Constitutional Amendment, outlawing alcohol sales unless for medical or industrial use. For a while, this helped. However, a new generation was just coming of age in America. These young people were considered corrupt by the society outside of their own. The people drank, engaged in multiple love affairs, and openly disobeyed the law.