Prohibition and Crime
Essential Question: Would you consider the government's passage of the 18th Amendment an over-reaction to the problem of alcohol?
Besides banning alcohol, what else could the government have done. There is really no way of limiting alcohol to a certain amount and making it illegal at some point back in the 1920's. I understand that their was domestic violence going on concerning husbands and crimes were high, but the banning of alcohol might have been a little much. If they would have banned it, they would needed to have enough police officers and organizations to enforce the violations. It's easy to say that the 18th amendment shouldn't have been passed now and that it was an over reaction, but if I lived in the time of the 1920's, it might be a different story.
How do the actions of gangsters / bootleggers support the position that the government and temperance leaders had gone too far.
The gangsters and bootleggers showed how the government took things too far because they did not obey the law. Most of the people who drank could control themselves, but when the ban on alcohol was placed, it did not make people happy. They thought they should have the freedom and choices to do whatever they wanted to do. Society felt that the government had abused it's power and took the situation too far. Most people did not follow the ban on alcohol, and many people were angry at the government for over using their power.
Besides banning alcohol, what else could the government have done. There is really no way of limiting alcohol to a certain amount and making it illegal at some point back in the 1920's. I understand that their was domestic violence going on concerning husbands and crimes were high, but the banning of alcohol might have been a little much. If they would have banned it, they would needed to have enough police officers and organizations to enforce the violations. It's easy to say that the 18th amendment shouldn't have been passed now and that it was an over reaction, but if I lived in the time of the 1920's, it might be a different story.
How do the actions of gangsters / bootleggers support the position that the government and temperance leaders had gone too far.
The gangsters and bootleggers showed how the government took things too far because they did not obey the law. Most of the people who drank could control themselves, but when the ban on alcohol was placed, it did not make people happy. They thought they should have the freedom and choices to do whatever they wanted to do. Society felt that the government had abused it's power and took the situation too far. Most people did not follow the ban on alcohol, and many people were angry at the government for over using their power.
Background
During the 1920's, a lot of crime and illegal activity was going on. Gangsters such as Al Capone and others were robbing banks and setting up prostitution rigs. He formed the gang, "The Chicago Outfit" and would later be known as the "Capones". Anyway, the crime and illegal activities, according to the Women's Christian Temperance Movement, were caused partly by alcohol. Eventually it became banned in the passage of the 18th amendment as seen below.
The 18th Amendment: prohibited the manufacture, sale transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverage
How effective was the 18th amendment?
The goal of the 18th amendment was to lower crime rates throughout America. Some males were beating their wife's while being drunk and a lot of gangs arose. This amendment was directed at holding these crimes to a minimum. This was not the case, the amendment caused an influx of bootleggers and speakeasies. The crime rates actually increased, and that led to a rise of crime organizations. The two flaws in the amendment were
1.) failing to clearly establish a consequence for breaking the law
2.) defining what intoxicating liquor meant
This caused a lot of people to not uphold the law and made it common to break this amendment in towns and cities. Overall, normal people found other ways of drinking alcohol, and the criminals made a lot of money selling this alcohol to the people which made the amendment a failure.
The goal of the 18th amendment was to lower crime rates throughout America. Some males were beating their wife's while being drunk and a lot of gangs arose. This amendment was directed at holding these crimes to a minimum. This was not the case, the amendment caused an influx of bootleggers and speakeasies. The crime rates actually increased, and that led to a rise of crime organizations. The two flaws in the amendment were
1.) failing to clearly establish a consequence for breaking the law
2.) defining what intoxicating liquor meant
This caused a lot of people to not uphold the law and made it common to break this amendment in towns and cities. Overall, normal people found other ways of drinking alcohol, and the criminals made a lot of money selling this alcohol to the people which made the amendment a failure.
How did the government deal with violations of the Volstead Act?
The government did not deal with violations of the Volstead Act very well. Many punishments that were said to happen did not end up actually happening, because of corruption and bribery. On rare occasions police had to use violence to stop the law breaking from happening, but that did not happen more than a couple times. The government did not enforce this law well.
The government did not deal with violations of the Volstead Act very well. Many punishments that were said to happen did not end up actually happening, because of corruption and bribery. On rare occasions police had to use violence to stop the law breaking from happening, but that did not happen more than a couple times. The government did not enforce this law well.
Why do the 1920's have such a big reputation for gangsters and crime? Is it deserved?
The smuggling of alcohol was on the rise. Bootleggers made and sold their own alcohol illegally, and speakeasies illegally sold alcohol as well. Gangsters were hired to do certain things like get illegal alcohol and drugs. The 1920's was also a time period of organized crime. The reputation is accurate to the time period.
The smuggling of alcohol was on the rise. Bootleggers made and sold their own alcohol illegally, and speakeasies illegally sold alcohol as well. Gangsters were hired to do certain things like get illegal alcohol and drugs. The 1920's was also a time period of organized crime. The reputation is accurate to the time period.
Vocabulary
Speakeasy: an establishment that sells alcohol during a time of prohibition
Bootlegger: someone who distributes or sells illicitly
Speakeasy: an establishment that sells alcohol during a time of prohibition
Bootlegger: someone who distributes or sells illicitly
APPARTS
Author: Unknown
Place and Time: Chicago, 1931.
Prior Knowledge: This is Al Capone's Mugshot. He was a famous gangster in the 1920's that helped get alcohol illegally. He became very powerful.
Reason: Al Capone was a huge power during the 1920's. He was one of the biggest gangsters around back then, and everyone knew about him. He got arrested many times, but somehow always seemed to get away from the law.
The Main Idea: Al Capone was put behind bars, but ran away from the law several times. The illegal selling and buying of alcohol during prohibition was so popular and controlled by the gangsters and bootleggers that it was hard for the government and federal power to get in under control. No matter what the federal government did, they could not seem to control the consumption of alcohol.
Significance: This source is an important part of American history because of prohibition and all the gangsters and bootleggers. America was growing and learning as a country, and how to control illegal substance dealing and other crimes and felonies.
Place and Time: Chicago, 1931.
Prior Knowledge: This is Al Capone's Mugshot. He was a famous gangster in the 1920's that helped get alcohol illegally. He became very powerful.
Reason: Al Capone was a huge power during the 1920's. He was one of the biggest gangsters around back then, and everyone knew about him. He got arrested many times, but somehow always seemed to get away from the law.
The Main Idea: Al Capone was put behind bars, but ran away from the law several times. The illegal selling and buying of alcohol during prohibition was so popular and controlled by the gangsters and bootleggers that it was hard for the government and federal power to get in under control. No matter what the federal government did, they could not seem to control the consumption of alcohol.
Significance: This source is an important part of American history because of prohibition and all the gangsters and bootleggers. America was growing and learning as a country, and how to control illegal substance dealing and other crimes and felonies.
The people behind the Christian Women's Temperance Movement want the world to be a pure and moral place. The destruction of families due to alcohol is a bad thing and they realized this. They viewed America as slowly destructing due to a few underlying causes, one of which was alcohol. Due to their views, they then pushed for the 18th amendment in order to prohibit alcohol, or really decrease crime. Although the movement didn't work because of the influx of bootleggers, a light punishment, and other factors, the value of family and the importance of family is what drove the movement.