Soon after the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise in the United States. At the time, alcohol was blamed for a variety of issues, such as murder and crime. Alcohol was seen as a destroyer of families and marriages. In 1826, the American Temperance Society was founded to convince people to abstain from drinking. In 1893, the Anti-Saloon League was formed, and eventually became a powerful political force in passing the national ban on alcoholic beverages. The women were strongly behind the temperance movement, one reason being because men would spend money on alcohol leaving women with no money to provide for their children. The factory owners also supported the temperance movement, as new work habits required industrial workers to have early mornings and late nights. The Progressive reformers aw this movement as a continuation of their efforts to improve society in general.
Between 1905 and 1917, states across the nation imposed laws that prohibited the manufacturing and sale of intoxicating beverages. In 1917, the House of Representatives wanted to make Prohibition the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. This was sent to the states for ratification, where it needed 3/4 approval. The states were given 7 years to make their decision, but it was approved in 13 months. The Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic liquors.
The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was enacted to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment, which established prohibition in the United States. It was enacted by the 66th United States Congress and took effect October 28, 1919. It was introduced to the House by Andrew Volstead, who was a Republican from Minnesota. Because the 18th Amendment didn't define 'intoxicating liquors' or provide penalties, this act did so. It called for trials for anyone charged with an alcohol related offense.
The amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic liquors. It worked at first, as liquor consumption dropped by 30%, arrests for drunkenness fell, and the price for illegal alcohol rose higher than the average worker could afford.After awhile though, there was growing disobedience toward the law and law enforcement. Enforcing was already extremely difficult, and bootlegging became rampant. Bootlegging is the illegal production and distribution of liquor. One of the most famous bootleggers/gangsters during this time was Al Capone.
Al Capone was America's best known gangster. He was the greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the US during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city. As a kid, Alphonsus Capone grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a member of two kid gangs, the Brooklyn Rippers and Forty Thieves Juniors. He was smart, but quit school in the 6th grade at the age of 14. He then became part of the notorious Five Points gang in Manhattan. While working at Harvard Inn as a bouncer and bartender, he received his infamous facial scars and the nickname 'scarface' when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother. His first arrest was on a disorderly conduct charge. He also murdered two men in New York, which was an early testimony of his willingness to kill. Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 and moved his family there. He helped his boss Yale's mentor, John Torrio. He helped Torrio manage his bootlegging business and eventually became a full partner. Torrio was later shot by a rival gang, and Capone became boss. He then controlled speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, horse and race tracks, night clubs, distilleries, and breweries at a reported income of 100,000,000 dollars a year. Attempts on his life were never successful, as he had a spy network in Chicago. Capone himself killed many men, but always happened to have an alibi. His most significant killing was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. There were 150 bullets fired in the building of George Moran's North Side Gang. There were 7 men who thought that it was a police raid and dropped their guns. 6 of the 7 men were killed. Capone had an alibi, saying that he had been in Florida at the time. He and his body guard finally got arrested on May 17th, 1929, for carrying concealed, deadly weapons. Within 16 hours they had been sentenced to terms of 1 year each. Capone served his time and was released in nine months for good behavior on March 17, 1930. Capone died at his Palm Island estate in Miami in 1947 due to cardiac arrest.
The national government didn't have any means or desire to try to enforce the every border, lake, river, and speakeasy in the US. By 1925 there were 30000 to 100000 speakeasy clubs. The demand for alcohol outweighed the demand for sobriety. People found clever ways to evade prohibition agents, such as carrying hip flasks, hollowed canes, and false books. Prohibition made life in America more violent with open rebellion against the law and organized crime. By 1933 public opposition to prohibition had become overwhelming. On December 5, 1933, the Twenty-first amendment was ratified, the 18th amendment was repealed, and this rendered the Volstead Act unconstitutional and restored control of alcohol to the states.
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