Prohibition, Organized Crime, Bootlegging, Speakeasies, Al Capone
During the prohibition era, american colonists believed that alcoholic beverages was safer to drink than water because it could be polluted with unwanted substances. Many adults and children used to drink weak beers because they believed it was safer than water. Getting drunk in public was not acceptable. In the 1920’s, alcohol was banned because many people were drinking too much. Many people who drank alcohol disturbed small communities which led to social workers, clergy, and others to start the temperance movement. Church leaders did not like the consumption of alcoholic beverages because it lead to loss of livelihood and increased domestic violence. Also, many people did not encourage the consumption of alcohol because there are negative health effects involved and you can become addicted to drinking it. Also, drinking alcohol could lead to immorality and poverty and many ingredients used in the production of alcohol could be used to aid the soldiers in war. In all, 1.5 million people were active in the temperance movements that consisted of thousands of different groups.
In January 1919 the law was made and the Volstead Act that was passed in October 1919 to enforce the law. This law shut down hundreds of breweries as well as unemployed thousands of workers in the alcohol production business. At first, the law plummeted alcohol consumption by 30% but in a few years the amount of alcohol consumption was the same as when alcohol was legalized. This is because the law made citizens desire alcohol even more and eventually this lead to a dramatic increase in organized crime. Rum runners were formed and they smuggled alcohol from places such as Mexico and Canada. Also, speakeasies were formed which were undercover establishments that sold liquor. These establishments have been active since the 1890’s but have earned their popularity during the prohibition era. Speakeasies were very profitable and started letting women go to speakeasies to further increase their revenue. This criminals were not caught because the law enforcement were payed a lot of money to look the other way. In effect, many gangsters became rich off of the desire of alcohol such as Al Capone.
Al Capone grew up learning that the purpose of life was to acquire wealth. He was a very smart businessman who found many ways to make money. When many people wanted to break the law and drink alcohol, Capone saw this opportunity as an easy way to acquire wealth. In an interview with reporter Damon Runyan, he said, "I make money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers ... some of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as me." This quote shows that Al Capone was not afraid of getting arrested and made it his goal of making money, no matter how dangerous it was to acquire. Capone was seen as a menace throughout Chicago but couldn’t be locked up because of all his power and influence against the authorities. When bootlegging was losing money, the government finally prosecuted Capone for tax fraud. He was sentenced to ten years hard labor and served in a penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia and Alcatraz. While in Alcatraz, Capone came down with a mental disease called syphilis and was released from the island because he was not in the mental state to perform anymore crime.
Because of this, many people began disrespecting law enforcement and many lives were taken because of the fighting between police and gangsters. Towards the 1930’s many organizations grouped together to form the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. Franklin D. Roosevelt cut government funding for prohibition and urged Congress to pass a bill that allows American citizens to manufacture, sell, and consume alcohol.
On April 7, 1933 almost 200 beer breweries opened up because of the Beer Act. Part of the reason alcohol was legalized is because the government needed the tax money earned by the selling of alcohol, law enforcement costs needed to be lowered, and the creation of new jobs because of the openings of new bars and breweries. Because alcohol was legalized, gangsters needed another way of getting money so they pursued the drug trafficking business as well as loan-sharking and labor racketeering. Loan sharking is a person who lends money at very high interest rates. Labor racketeering is the illegal and fraudulent use of employee benefit plans. In the end, alcohol was legalized and it brought the wealth differential back to way it used to be.
In January 1919 the law was made and the Volstead Act that was passed in October 1919 to enforce the law. This law shut down hundreds of breweries as well as unemployed thousands of workers in the alcohol production business. At first, the law plummeted alcohol consumption by 30% but in a few years the amount of alcohol consumption was the same as when alcohol was legalized. This is because the law made citizens desire alcohol even more and eventually this lead to a dramatic increase in organized crime. Rum runners were formed and they smuggled alcohol from places such as Mexico and Canada. Also, speakeasies were formed which were undercover establishments that sold liquor. These establishments have been active since the 1890’s but have earned their popularity during the prohibition era. Speakeasies were very profitable and started letting women go to speakeasies to further increase their revenue. This criminals were not caught because the law enforcement were payed a lot of money to look the other way. In effect, many gangsters became rich off of the desire of alcohol such as Al Capone.
Al Capone grew up learning that the purpose of life was to acquire wealth. He was a very smart businessman who found many ways to make money. When many people wanted to break the law and drink alcohol, Capone saw this opportunity as an easy way to acquire wealth. In an interview with reporter Damon Runyan, he said, "I make money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers ... some of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as me." This quote shows that Al Capone was not afraid of getting arrested and made it his goal of making money, no matter how dangerous it was to acquire. Capone was seen as a menace throughout Chicago but couldn’t be locked up because of all his power and influence against the authorities. When bootlegging was losing money, the government finally prosecuted Capone for tax fraud. He was sentenced to ten years hard labor and served in a penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia and Alcatraz. While in Alcatraz, Capone came down with a mental disease called syphilis and was released from the island because he was not in the mental state to perform anymore crime.
Because of this, many people began disrespecting law enforcement and many lives were taken because of the fighting between police and gangsters. Towards the 1930’s many organizations grouped together to form the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. Franklin D. Roosevelt cut government funding for prohibition and urged Congress to pass a bill that allows American citizens to manufacture, sell, and consume alcohol.
On April 7, 1933 almost 200 beer breweries opened up because of the Beer Act. Part of the reason alcohol was legalized is because the government needed the tax money earned by the selling of alcohol, law enforcement costs needed to be lowered, and the creation of new jobs because of the openings of new bars and breweries. Because alcohol was legalized, gangsters needed another way of getting money so they pursued the drug trafficking business as well as loan-sharking and labor racketeering. Loan sharking is a person who lends money at very high interest rates. Labor racketeering is the illegal and fraudulent use of employee benefit plans. In the end, alcohol was legalized and it brought the wealth differential back to way it used to be.
This is a picture from my primary document about how citizens felt years after the 18th amendment was passed. Many gangs formed and alcohol was consumed as much as it was before the amendment was passed! There was chaos throughout the cities and there was a lot of organized crime.
"Prohibition." Crime and Punishment in America Reference Library, edited by Richard C. Hanes, et al., vol. 4: Primary Sources, UXL, 2005, pp. 98-102. U.S. History in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3441000101/UHIC?u=bloomhhs&xid=3b287984. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.
This is a picture of the famous criminal Al Capone. He was very profitable during the prohibition era, distributing alcohol illegally in Chicago.
"Al Capone." Gale U.S. History in Context, Gale, 2007. U.S. History in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2380001030/UHIC?u=bloomhhs&xid=dfe37796. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.
This is a picture of the famous criminal Al Capone. He was very profitable during the prohibition era, distributing alcohol illegally in Chicago.
"Al Capone." Gale U.S. History in Context, Gale, 2007. U.S. History in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2380001030/UHIC?u=bloomhhs&xid=dfe37796. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.