Why was Prohibition such a controversial issue during the 1920's

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Why was Prohibition such a controversial issue during the 1920’s?

Prohibition was the banning of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. The power to ban the production, export, import, transportation or sale of alcoholic beverages was given by the 18th Amendment, 1917. This was gradually adopted by state governments across America and was followed up in 1919 by the Volstead Act that defined intoxicating liquor as a drink containing 0.5% of alcohol and prescribed penalties for breaking the law. By 1920 Prohibition applied to the whole of the USA. The passing of this law was quite astounding for several reasons, partly because the legal liquor industry was the 7th biggest in the country, where even in the latter part of the 19th century, ‘big business’ was established and respected as creator of the nations vast wealth. Perhaps more importantly Prohibition appeared to be a violation of the rights and freedom of the individual so treasured by the US constitution and Bill of Rights. I will examine why and how this law came into being, the problems it caused and evaluate why it was such a controversial issue.

Prohibition perhaps best illustrates the contradictions in American society and politics during this period. Supported by those who looked to the government for ‘moral regulation’ leading the way to ensure that people led clean, wholesome lives, it anticipated the role of government expanding in private life to an unparalleled degree.

Prohibition originated in rural and small town America, a crusade against intoxicating liquor inspired by the poverty, misery, immorality and violence that it was perceived to produce. At the forefront of the campaign for a total ban on alcohol was the Anti-Saloon League, whose membership consisted of white, middle class, church going Americans (especially from the South and Mid-West) who were especially critical of the behaviour and morality in big, crime ridden cities such as New York and Chicago. Prohibition was also favoured by many women’s groups, such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, who identified alcohol as a means by which men oppressed them. Religious groups also identified alcohol as the work of the devil, responsible for the moral downfall of America. Perhaps more significantly it also had the influential backing of several big business tycoons, most notably John D Rockafeller who gave his personal support and a large amount of money to the League, seeing drunkenness as leading to danger and inefficiency in the workplace.

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Supporters of Prohibition tended to be white, middle class, overwhelmingly protestant, from small towns in the South and West and generally voted Republican. Opponents were likely to be urban, of non-northern European ethnic origin, Roman Catholic and vote Democrat.

Despite the controversy that you might expect a proposed amendment such as this to evoke, there was actually very little opposition to the measure. Two principal factors lead to an increase in popularity of Prohibition at the time. The first of these was the impact of war, which gave several impetuses to Prohibition. Grain was needed for food; so ...

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