National Prohibition 1919-1919
Emily Tracey
Assess the view that the policy of National Prohibition (1919-1933) created more problems than it solved.
Prohibition introduced to America in the January of 1919, then passed through the Volstead Act in the January of 1920, prohibited the consumption of alcohol that contained more than 0.5 per cent, unless given by health care professionals as medication. It was believed by some that the banning of alcohol would help to improve the lives of American people. It was hoped that public spending on alcohol would be cut and the crime rate would be lowered. However, there is the argument to whether National Prohibition did actually solve any of these problems. Historians such as Michael Woodwiss believe that prohibition actually …show more content…
Woodwiss, believed that 'prohibition immediately made the problem of crime and corruption worse.'[5] Figures show that the number of arrests in America had increased to 561 per cent and the prison population had risen by 366 per cent, mainly relating to alcohol related incidents.[6] During the years of Prohibition in America the homicide rate grew from 6.8 per cent to 9 per cent.[7] Some may argue that this may be related to the consumption of illegal alcohol and gangs as Woodwiss states that 'prohibition created a vast new market for illegal goods and services and a brand new illegal …show more content…
Historian John Smith described Prohibition as 'not the end of organized crime in America but only its beginning'[9] Prohibition bought about more gangs in the big cities than ever before, and people who were willing to supply the public with illegal alcohol, these were often known as Bootleggers. One of the main people doing this in this period was Al Capone, he argued that ' I make my money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am.'.[10] Here he is saying that although he is supplying illegal alcohol, the people consuming it are also breaking the law, neither is more in the wrong. This shows that Prohibition helped to create masses of illegal activity, where ordinary citizens began resorting to crime to get what they want. Another example of this would be American citizens giving up their stable jobs to join in with this activity. Micheal Woodwiss describes ' Along the coasts, rivers and the Great Lakes, fisherman, tugboat operators, shippers and dockworkers gave up their normal occupations and entered the smuggling
Assess the view that the policy of National Prohibition (1919-1933) created more problems than it solved.
Prohibition introduced to America in the January of 1919, then passed through the Volstead Act in the January of 1920, prohibited the consumption of alcohol that contained more than 0.5 per cent, unless given by health care professionals as medication. It was believed by some that the banning of alcohol would help to improve the lives of American people. It was hoped that public spending on alcohol would be cut and the crime rate would be lowered. However, there is the argument to whether National Prohibition did actually solve any of these problems. Historians such as Michael Woodwiss believe that prohibition actually …show more content…
Woodwiss, believed that 'prohibition immediately made the problem of crime and corruption worse.'[5] Figures show that the number of arrests in America had increased to 561 per cent and the prison population had risen by 366 per cent, mainly relating to alcohol related incidents.[6] During the years of Prohibition in America the homicide rate grew from 6.8 per cent to 9 per cent.[7] Some may argue that this may be related to the consumption of illegal alcohol and gangs as Woodwiss states that 'prohibition created a vast new market for illegal goods and services and a brand new illegal …show more content…
Historian John Smith described Prohibition as 'not the end of organized crime in America but only its beginning'[9] Prohibition bought about more gangs in the big cities than ever before, and people who were willing to supply the public with illegal alcohol, these were often known as Bootleggers. One of the main people doing this in this period was Al Capone, he argued that ' I make my money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am.'.[10] Here he is saying that although he is supplying illegal alcohol, the people consuming it are also breaking the law, neither is more in the wrong. This shows that Prohibition helped to create masses of illegal activity, where ordinary citizens began resorting to crime to get what they want. Another example of this would be American citizens giving up their stable jobs to join in with this activity. Micheal Woodwiss describes ' Along the coasts, rivers and the Great Lakes, fisherman, tugboat operators, shippers and dockworkers gave up their normal occupations and entered the smuggling