Events Leading up to Prohibition
The events leading up to the prohibition law dates back towards the 1840s, when lot of immigrants came from Ireland and Germany to the United States during that era. Over the course of years, more and more immigrants came to U.S and had set up an urban lifestyle. There were high crime rates and fighting problems in those urban cities. Many temperance and anti-alcohol organizations blamed these injustice acts by the consumption of alcohol. In the past, crime and alcohol were associated and was believed that alcohol was the main source of evil power creating nothing but pauperism, crime, madness and death. (1) The people pursuing prohibition thought that all of the alcohol should be destroyed at once. However, anti-prohibitionists on the other hand, argued that prohibiting alcohol would be a violation of their rights. In result, the shift to prohibition began.
On June 2nd 1851, Maine forbade the manufacture and sale of all intoxicating liquors within the confines of the state and encouraged enforcement by awarding all fines to the prosecuting officers due to the temperance movement. And then in 1853, the legislature favorable to prohibition, began in Ohio. During the elections, the temperance movement launched its all-out campaign for a prohibition law.
The shift to prohibition became popular in the States. In 1855, thirteen states had enacted the prohibition legislation, which was later repealed over time. In 1869, The National Prohibition Party was founded, which became a success in persuading the communities and counties in the states to ban the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. And since women were popularly abused by drunken men, alcohol was considered to be the reason why the temperance movement was pushed throughout the nation. In result, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed in 1870, and women came together to protect their own right from males. According to “Drink and Disorder,” the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union thought that the years of the Civil War and Reconstruction only assessed the danger of drinking, and the women continued to go against drinking. (2)
One of the major issues which led up to prohibition was World War I. Because of World War I, land was being used to make alcohol when it should have been used to make food for soldiers that went to war. There was a concern about the conservation of resources which was linked to the progressive movement, a reform era, where the government was used to reform society and politics. Prohibition culminated in 1918, and the War Time Prohibition Act was passed to save grain for the war effort during World War I. A lot of temperance, and anti-alcohol propaganda were used newspapers as an appeal to the public, in order to save grain for army for the war.
According to the newspaper "The Alabama Citizen," 39,000,000 bushels of grain were used in milking spirits, and 68 millions of bushels of grain were used to make malt liquors in 1916. In proportion to the total production of rice, it would supply the energy requirement of 200,000 men a year. Senator Lodge said that The 2,000,000 bushels of rice and the 13,000,000 bushels of corn used in beer would meet the energy requirement of over 1,296,467 men for a year, more than enough for our new army. (3)
On January 16, 1919, the United States ratifies the 18th amendment. Soon after, the Volstead act passes the United States Congress on October 28, 1919, which established the enforcement of prohibition. (4) Effectively, by the efforts of prohibition campaigns such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League, the prohibition law was taken into effect on January 16, 1920 which soon failed to restore health and virtue among society.
On June 2nd 1851, Maine forbade the manufacture and sale of all intoxicating liquors within the confines of the state and encouraged enforcement by awarding all fines to the prosecuting officers due to the temperance movement. And then in 1853, the legislature favorable to prohibition, began in Ohio. During the elections, the temperance movement launched its all-out campaign for a prohibition law.
The shift to prohibition became popular in the States. In 1855, thirteen states had enacted the prohibition legislation, which was later repealed over time. In 1869, The National Prohibition Party was founded, which became a success in persuading the communities and counties in the states to ban the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. And since women were popularly abused by drunken men, alcohol was considered to be the reason why the temperance movement was pushed throughout the nation. In result, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed in 1870, and women came together to protect their own right from males. According to “Drink and Disorder,” the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union thought that the years of the Civil War and Reconstruction only assessed the danger of drinking, and the women continued to go against drinking. (2)
One of the major issues which led up to prohibition was World War I. Because of World War I, land was being used to make alcohol when it should have been used to make food for soldiers that went to war. There was a concern about the conservation of resources which was linked to the progressive movement, a reform era, where the government was used to reform society and politics. Prohibition culminated in 1918, and the War Time Prohibition Act was passed to save grain for the war effort during World War I. A lot of temperance, and anti-alcohol propaganda were used newspapers as an appeal to the public, in order to save grain for army for the war.
According to the newspaper "The Alabama Citizen," 39,000,000 bushels of grain were used in milking spirits, and 68 millions of bushels of grain were used to make malt liquors in 1916. In proportion to the total production of rice, it would supply the energy requirement of 200,000 men a year. Senator Lodge said that The 2,000,000 bushels of rice and the 13,000,000 bushels of corn used in beer would meet the energy requirement of over 1,296,467 men for a year, more than enough for our new army. (3)
On January 16, 1919, the United States ratifies the 18th amendment. Soon after, the Volstead act passes the United States Congress on October 28, 1919, which established the enforcement of prohibition. (4) Effectively, by the efforts of prohibition campaigns such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League, the prohibition law was taken into effect on January 16, 1920 which soon failed to restore health and virtue among society.
(1) Jed Dannenbaum, Drink and Disorder: Temperance Reform in Cincinnati from the Washingtonian Revival to the WCTU (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1984), 77
(2) Ibid.
(3) “Senator Lodge And War Prohibition.” The Alabama Citizen. August 1, 1917.
http://news.google.comnewspapersid=NJ1iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NHgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2574,2882185&dq=us+prohibition+save+grain&hl=en
(Accessed April 9, 2013).
(4) “Drastic Prohibition Law passed In U.S Lower House By Substantial Majority.” The Morning Leader. July 23, 1919.
http://news.google.comnewspapersid=39JSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pTcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4204,265733&dq=us+prohibition+passed&hl=en
(Accessed April 9, 2013).
(2) Ibid.
(3) “Senator Lodge And War Prohibition.” The Alabama Citizen. August 1, 1917.
http://news.google.comnewspapersid=NJ1iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NHgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2574,2882185&dq=us+prohibition+save+grain&hl=en
(Accessed April 9, 2013).
(4) “Drastic Prohibition Law passed In U.S Lower House By Substantial Majority.” The Morning Leader. July 23, 1919.
http://news.google.comnewspapersid=39JSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pTcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4204,265733&dq=us+prohibition+passed&hl=en
(Accessed April 9, 2013).