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Drys

However the way the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act were written they allowed for many loopholes. A glaring one is that the Amendment never banned the drinking or possession of alcohol. Also people were able to buy certain forms of alcohol with a doctor's prescription. The high demand for alcohol lead to the formation of underground speakeasies that were run by mobsters. Thus leading to organized crime.

Wets

Effects on the Government.

Thought that a ban on alcohol would lead to less crime, better families, and improve the national character of the country. They also believed that the economy would be improved due to men not spending their pay checks on alcohol but on useful things. Most "Drys" were woman and rural workers generally.

Another unintended economic effect was heavily felt by the government. This effect was the lose of excise taxes on alcohol sales. Most states relied heavily on the sale of alcohol to fund their budgets. 75% of New York's revenue was derived from the sale of alcohol. The U.S government lost upwards of 11 billion dollars in excise tax. Enforcing the law cost them 300 million.

The wets believed that the prohibition led to an increase of illegal activity and did not stop was it was created to prevent. They wanted to repeal the 18th Amendment. Most "wets" were congressmen, men, people living in cities, and people in the alcohol industry.

Organized Crime

Initial supporters of the Prohibition legislation thought that the banning of alcohol would lead to a more moral and crime free America. However this was quickly proven wrong by mobsters, spekesies, and bootleggers.

Economic Realities

Unlike what the drys predicted, prohibition had an extremely negative affect on the economy. Drys predicted that the entertainment industry would receive a massive boost and that the soda, juice, and gum industries would become more valuable. In reality restaurants, amusement parks, and movie theaters had a massive decrease in business as they could no longer make profit from their liquor sale. Thousands of people lost their jobs from the closing of saloons, distilleries, and breweries.

Al Capone

Repeal of Prohibition

Conclusion

After 13 years the wets had continuously pushed for the recall of Prohibition. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for election a panel in his platform included a call for the repeal of the 18th Amendment and Volstead Act. It was simply costing too much money to try to ineffectively enforce this law. Eventually the 21st amendment was passed in 1933 which ended prohibition making it the first time a constitutional amendment had been repealed. However the country was not fully wet as some states still enforced prohibition but now only a small amount of counties in all the states are still considered dry.

"The Nobel Experiment"

Gangs in the 1920's

Although the temperance movement had fought long and hard to create prohibition they were unable to predict that the banning of alcohol would lead to a poorer economy and an increase in crime which is what they aimed to decrease. It is for these reasons that Prohibition is and always will be known as "The Noble Experiment".

Sicilian families immigrated to the United States just like other Italians. Most were law abiding citizens but a small few were members of family tied gangs who were being hunted down by Benito Mussolini. In running from Mussolini these mobsters brought the Sicilian Mafia to the US. Famous mobsters include Al Capone, Charles Lucky, and John Gotti. These gangs would run speakeasies, move alcohol from place to place, run drug rings, and prostitution circles.Al Capone alone made 60 million dollars from bootlegging exclusively not including his other "businesses". The height of the Mafia ended and began to decline after the Valentines Day Massacre.

In 1917 the the 18th amendment to the Constitution passed through both houses of Congress. It took two years before it was ratified by 2/3 of the states. However there was no legislation to enforce this amendment so in 1919 the Volstead Act was written and enacted in 1920 officially beginning the era of prohibition.

How did this happen?

Feds dumping now illegal alcohol.

Five Facts

1.The Volstead Act is what enforced Prohibition

2.Prohibition never banned drinking or possession but only the selling, brewing, and transportation of alcohol.

3.Prohibition was the first constitutional amendment to be revoked.

4. Bootleggers got there start by using pharmacies as a front for legal alcohol sales.

5.Prohibition lasted 13 years.

The 18th Amendment was the fruit of the long running temperance movement in the United States. Such groups as the Anti-Saloon League, Woman Christian Temperance Union, The Prohibition Party, The suffragettes, and the Carrie National Prohibition Party advocated for the passing of a prohibition law. They saw alcohol as "America's National Curse." The 18th Amendment banned the making, selling, and distribution of alcohol. However there was no ban to drinking. (major loophole)

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Prohibition." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

History.com Staff. "Prohibition." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01 Jan. 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Organized Crime in the 1920's and Prohibition." Organized Crime in the 1920's and Prohibition. Finer times Publishing, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Prohibition." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Prohibition and Organized Crime

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