Why was Prohibition introduced in the USA in 1919?

Prohibition is defined in the dictionary as, ‘the legal ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol.’

When prohibition was introduced this was what it was seen as being, but there was so much more behind it. Prohibition was introduced in 1919; it was believed that an alcohol free country would be a greater one as a whole. Over the previous few years the First World War had been fought in Europe and America had been helping to supply weapons to its allies. When it did this, millions of jobs were created and so much of the unemployed started to make money. By the time that the war was over America was by far the richest country in the world.

When more people had more money it increased their spending on goods and this is what eventually started prohibition. To begin with, it all seemed to work because many people had better income to support their family but immediately it became clear that the money was not going where it should have been. There was a large increase in spending of money on alcohol and this was always going to have a bad effect on the country.

It meant that families basic needs were being neglected while the fathers drunk in the bars. Crime was on the increase as drunken men staggered about causing damage and stirring trouble and in most people’s eyes something had to be done hence prohibition.

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There were a few main instigators towards the start of prohibition, for example the, ‘Woman’s Christian Temperance Union,’ joined with the, ‘Anti Saloon League,’ and they argued against bars and saloons. The women argued that the money which should be spent on essentials such as food and bills, not on a few beers. Families in America were starving in this prosperous country supposed to be in its prime because of alcohol. This was also the angle of the Anti Saloon League; they felt that bars and saloons needed to be banned to improve family values. They also said that they should be banned because it would reduce crime, and just improve society as a whole.

The government thought that there was a good reason for them to support such an idea because if they passed a bill of a great magnitude like this then and it was successful then most of Americans would support their government for a long time.

So in January 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the USA came into force.

The general idea of prohibition was accepted by most because the government found positive aspects of the idea for everyone. For Example, Businessmen were offered the incentive that workers would get to work on time due to no hangovers. This obviously would attract lots of businessmen to agree to this.

For women the incentive that the men would have money for the family and they would be at home spending time with their wives and not down the pub.

The public in general had incentives such as the promise of less road accidents. Also there was the idea of less crime due to drunkenness and behavior of there would be less fear of being attacked by drunks. Mainly the idea that captured most people was the point that more money would go into shopping, thus increasing the business and economy as a whole. These were the general ideas, which were being introduced.

There was a large support for these ideas from the small towns and rural areas where Protestant churches had large congregations who were less than happy with the behavior and morality in the northern cities.

In some cases the popularity and support of prohibition was so great that even the people who enjoyed a drink were afraid to speak out against them.

When it was introduced there was much celebration and joy but it didn’t all go to plan. People took advantage of the situation and all the promises made either reversed or just weren’t met.

So after all the protest and campaigns it all failed and prohibition was one of the biggest flops in America’s history.

Siva Iyer Page