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America's Hangover: Prohibitions Unintended Consequences

Under the Volstead Act, saloons once packed full were emptied, barrels of whisky were poured into the streets, and the taps went dry. However, the unexpected and unfortunate consequences of prohibiting alcohol would ultimately put an end to America's noble experiment with "The Dry Movement". HANGOVER PROHIBITION'S UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES POPULAR PERCEPTIONS ON THE NEED FOR PROHIBITION There were many emerging ideas and numerous issues that developed throughout America and ultimately led to Prohibition of alcohol in 1920. HELP ME TO KEEP MY CHILD PURE LIPS THAT DRY TOUCH VOTE DRY! SALOON LIQUOR SHALL NOT AMENDMENT TOUCH OURS THE ANTI SALOON SCIENTIFIC TEMPERANCE WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION INSTRUCTION TEMPERANCE UNION THE POLITICAL THE ECONOMIC THE MEDICAL THE SOCIAL Lobbyist groups like the Anti-Saloon Organization and the Women's Christian Temperance Union had passionate grassroots support and put much pressure on Congress to push prohibition legislation. Legislation passed that made schools teach "Scientific There was a perception that many workers, particularly immigrant workers in the inner city, could not live up to their potential at work because they showed up to their jobs drunk. Companies were suffering as a result. Men went to bars after work and spent the money they had on alcohol, as opposed to their families. Groups were so convinced of alcohol and its great potential that banning alcohol would improve family life and the crime rate that some counties even sold their jails! Temperance Instruction," this indoctrinated youth with a fear to harm the body and mind. PRE-PROHÍBITION AMERICA As the ideas of social and political groups became more and more accepted, states across America slowly implemented the law into each city. In 1917, three years before total Prohibition, scholars created a map to show the way America was shifting. WA NH VT, ME MT ND MN -MA -RI -CT --NJ --DE MD DC OR ID SD WI 'NY WY MI IA PA NE NV CA OH UT IL IN CO WV VA Local Option, Less than 50% cities without saloons KS MO KY NC Local Option, More than 50% cities without saloons TN AZ NM OK AR SC GA MS AL TX State Prohibition States that still allowed alcohol in all saloons • THE HOPE FOR PROHIBITION THE REIGN OF TEARS IS OVER. THE SLUMS WILL SOON BE A MEMORY. WE WILL TURN OUR PRISONS INTO FACTORIES AND OUR JAILS INTO STOREHOUSES AND CORNCRIBS. MEN WILL WALK UPRIGHT NOW, WOMEN WILL SMILE AND CHILDREN WILL LAUGH. HELL WILL BE FOREVER FOR RENT. ) -Reverend Billy Sunday THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY In the public consciousness, Prohibition made the gangster well liked and the government hated. Names of gangsters such as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Meyer Lansky were as famous to Americans as Duke Ellington, Babe Ruth, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In one year during Prohibition, it was estimated that professional bootleggers made about 100 4 BILLION DOLLARS That's $52.5 billion in 2013 US Dollars By 1930 it was estimated that 10,000 SPEAKEASYS were operating across the U.S. 999 +366% +1000% $11.400,000 DOLLARS Ådditional funding granted to police to handle crime increase. +561% Increase in Number of Federal Convicts Federal Spending on Penal Institutions Federal Prison Population Increase +81% +9% +13% +41% Increase in Arrests for Drunkenness Increase in Arrests Increase in Theft Increase in Homicide Assaults & Batteries for Drunk Driving and Burglaries or Disorderly Conduct CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA Throughout the 13 year span of Prohibition, alcohol consumption increased significantly since its beginning, however drinking never returned to pre-prohibtion levels. 2.0 10 YEARS BEFORE 3 YEARS AFTER 3 YEARS BEFORE GALLONS PROHIBITION STARTS PROHIBITION STARTS PROHIBITION EN DS 15 GALLONS LO GALLONS 0.5 GALLONS 1910 1915 1918 1919 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 PROHIBITION ALCOHOL INCREASE While it became harder to obtain alcohol, bootleggers increased the cost as well as the alcohol potency. Bootleggers made liquor in unsavory environments, often resulting in poisonous batches of product which increased the number of deaths from drinking. BRANDY ALL ALCOHOL SPIRITS BEER COST INCREASE COST INCREASE COST INCREASE POTENCY INCREASE +270% +433% +700% +150% DEATH RATE FROM ALCOHOL POISONING 1920 1,064 1925 4,154 +400% INCREASE IN 5 YEARS ALL PROHIBITION 1920-1933 10,000 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 Despite its noble goals to better the lives of the lower class and immigrants, the reality of prohibition made their lives both more dangerous and more difficult. It forced them to live in communities run by gangsters and crooked politicians. One of the greatest Presidents said it best: Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes. Abraham Lincoln M Mocavo http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470475/ http://library.thinkquest.org/28892/prohibition/why/ - http://prohibitionrepeal.com/history/fastfacts.asp http//www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa157.pdf - http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/ http://www.shmoop.com/1920s/immigration.html

America's Hangover: Prohibitions Unintended Consequences

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America's experiment with prohibition gave rise to more than just widespread organized crime and corruption. This infographic from Mocavo outlines some of the lesser known side effects.

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Mocavo

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History
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