Prohibition and the mob

1.  Do you think the government should try to regulate the moral behavior of its citizens?

3.  The movement to ban alcohol had been building throughout the late 1800’s  With the passage of the 18th Amendment, alcohol was now illegal in the United States  In an effort to help enforce the amendment, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act

4.  It was now the job of the US Treasury dept to enforce prohibition  Why?  Treasury Dept already had agents to enforce federal taxes  The 18th Amendment now gave the power to the federal government to use police powers › A governments power to control people and property in the interest of public safety, health, welfare, and morals

9.  The Treasury Dept had a tough time enforcing Prohibtion  During the 1920’s the Treasury Dept. made more than 540,000 arrests  People blatantly ignored the law

10.  Bootleggers - smuggled alcohol from surrounding countries  Bath Tub Gin-People built their own stills to distill liquor  Drinks would often need to be mixed to remove the horrible taste and were even possibly lethal  Liquor was also shipped in from Canada and the Caribbean

11.  Whiskey could be obtained by prescription from medical doctors.  The labels clearly warned that it was strictly for medicinal purposes and any other uses were illegal, but even so doctors freely wrote prescriptions and drug-stores filled them without question, so the number of "patients" increased dramatically.

12.  No attempt was made to stop this practice, so many people got their booze this way.  Over a million gallons were consumed per year through freely given prescriptions..

13.  Speakeasies (hidden saloons, nightclubs) become fashionable  Speakeasies were formed in the 1920's as a means to get around the everyday hassle of law enforcement watching for people to violate the 18th Amendment.  As a result of Prohibition, the speakeasy was an established institution. For every legitimate saloon that closed as a result of the new law, a half dozen underground palaces sprung up.

14.  These speakeasies were one of the many ways that people during the 1920's and early 1930's obtained illegal alcohol.  By the middle of the decade there were thought to be 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone.

15.  Prohibition contributed to organized crime in major cities  Specialized in supplying and running speakeasies - Wanted to make money off illegal liquor  Underground gangs battled for control of the booze racket

16.  Smuggling and the consumption of alcohol became a billion dollar industry for gangsters  1923 – Al Capone emerged as leader of organized crime  Had many police officers, judges, and other political officials on his payroll  Controlled Chicago liquor business by killing competitors  Capone and his gang became known as “the Untouchables”

17.  Prohibition failed because the policy was pretty much unenforceable  Only 5% of smuggled liquor was actually stopped from coming into the country  Gangs overpowered or bribed authority figures

18. Instead of lowering the crime rate prohibition actually lead to an increase in crime. • Large amounts of money could be made from illegal bootlegging.

19.  The 21st Amendment ended prohibition in 1933

20.  What information would you use to support the view that marijuana should be legalized?  What information would you use to support the view that marijuana should continue to be banned?  You will need to provide at least 5 valid points and explain how each one supports your claim.

Prohibition and the mob

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