How Prohibition Played a Role in 1920's Culture

As many of you may know for a brief time in the 1920’s alcohol was banned. The banning of alcohol is known as prohibition. “The Prohibition Era”, as we refer to it today, was brought upon the society of the 1920’s for a few reasons; many people were against the use of alcohol and suggested it was the drink of the devil and congress took a strong moral stance against alcohol use as well. The 18th Amendment established prohibition in the United States of America. The Volstead Act was also approved by congress and it sought ways to enforce the 18th Amendment. Prohibition was ratified by the 18th Amendment in January of 1919 but the law was not put into effect until January of the following year. Alcohol was seen as the devil’s drink well before the 18th Amendment was passed. In 1893 a Protestant group, The Anti-Saloon League, originated in Oberlin, Ohio. The Anti-Saloon League’s intentions spread like wildfire and the organization quickly became nationwide in 1895. This group of Prohibition advocates was the most influential fight against drinking alcohol; even greater than the earlier Prohibition Party or the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement. As expected, a plethora of people in the United States were fairly aggravated by the notions congress supported. The people of the United States would not stand for the tyrant like acts; because it was illegal to produce, sell, transport, import, and export alcohol is was seemingly difficult to get around the 18th Amendment. Individuals gathered together to thwart the governments 18th Amendment. These individuals were known as “Bootleggers” as well as “Rum Runners” and they did their best to sneak alcohol across state borders and to people who wanted