In the end, the reason prohibition was enforced, was due to the huge support. People from completely different religions and backgrounds join together to enforce the law. The main opposition to alcohol was a group, which formed around 1919 called the ‘anti-saloonists’. They set about gaining support by using propaganda posters and coagulating in-groups outside the saloons, to ward people away by intimidation and to look for sympathy by using children. The other main groups of opposition were politicians. Many politicians did not have anything against alcohol but used it as a step-up for popularity. They believed that agreement to it could boost their popularity in elections. People who agreed with prohibition because of morals were - Mostly, strict religions, country folk, women and anti-German. They all believed that the consumption of alcohol led to unsociable behaviour, things like violence, promiscuity, crime, poverty and politicians called drunkenness, ‘a national curse’.
The main reason that prohibition was introduced was because of the morals of some people. Most people believed that alcohol consumption was the cause of ALL social problems. People who drank alchohol were described as violent and promiscuous. Religious people opposed to it because it was against the rules or morals of their religions. Another main reason why the law was enforced is because of patriotism in the USA. Anything, which blackened the USA reputation, was forbidden. As in many religions alcohol was seen as evil, the federal government had to do something about it. One reason, which led back from the First World War, was that alcohol was a European thing, more specifically, Germany. The people were led to believe that if you consumed alcohol, you were a traitor to your country. The thing that the federal government was aiming to do was to put German breweries out of business. At this time the USA was one of the biggest liquor consumers from Germany, and they felt that this was a way of paying Germany back for the troubles at war.
When the law was passed, penalties were high, in some states, the death penalty still existed. If anyone was caught in the trade of alcohol, jail sentences were issued, and in some states the death penalty. Although it was not illegal to consume it, if you did, you were an embarrassment to society. People were still arrested if they were caught in ‘speakeasies’, as they were illegal.
In the beginning, the U.S federal government enforced prohibition in the hope that it would be the solution to lots of social problems all over the USA. They also knew that alcoholism and ‘drunkenness’ was unacceptable in lots of societies and cultures/religions around the world. The last thing the federal government wanted was USA to have a bad name, so they enforced the 18th amendment.