Why Was Prohibition Attempted and Why Did It Fail?

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LAURENCE RAVEN

WHY WAS PROHIBITION ATTEMPTED AND WHY DID IT FAIL?

Prohibition or the ‘Noble Experiment’ as it was known, was the banning of the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. ‘Intoxicating liqour’ as it was known was defined by the Volstead Act of 1920 as any drink containing more than 0.5% alcohol. This prohibited wines, beers and spirits. Until 1919 Prohibition had always been a state rather than a federal issue, the Eighteenth Amendment of that year changed that. Responsibility for enforcement was given to the Treasury. “The law…where it is not obeyed, will be enforced. Liqour will not be hauled in anything on the surface of the earth or under the earth or in the air”. It was estimated that $5 million would be enough to fund the task. Instead only $2 million was allocated.

Prohibition illustrates well 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 involved a government interfering in private life to an unprecedented degree, in stark contrast to the concept of laissez-faire.

The reasons as to why prohibition was introduced can be illustrated through explanation of the two main influential groups who were involved in the campaign followed by more social and general reasons:

The WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) vigorously lobbied for prohibition. The WCTU supported prohibition because intoxicating drink was seen as a threat to family life. Drink was seen as responsible for many crimes and acts of violence, especially from men. Forcing Kansas to become to first state to introduce prohibition in 1870, the membership of the WCTU was mainly middle-class. Their ambition was to replace the saloons with coffee-houses. The writer Edward Behr believed that the WCTU was out-of-touch with the working class and also with the immigrants who sustained much of the demand for alcohol. The Anti Saloon League had leading figures from the Protestant Church, yet remained independent and therefore was not dominated. It exerted influence over the White House over many politicians and other people of influence. Its vision of America was emphasis on rural values, hard work and the strict observation of the Sabbath.

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In addition, big business saw drunkenness as a lead to danger and inefficiency in the workplace and many religious groups believed alcohol was the work of the devil and was overwhelmingly responsible for sin and wrongdoing. Supporters tended to be overwhelmingly Protestant, live in small towns in the South and the West, and were mainly Republican. Although it seems incredible that the USA could even attempt to ban something as commonly available as alcohol, there was surprisingly little opposition. By 1917, 27 states had already passed prohibition laws and there were ‘dry’ counties in several others. Two factors led ...

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