The Rise Of Speakeasies During The Prohibition In New York City

Alcohol in America
Speakeasies during the Prohibition in New York City On January 16th, 1919 the Eighteenth Amendment was passed. This prohibited the transportation, sale, and production of liquor within the borders of the United States. This act had many unintended consequences: one of them being the rise of speakeasies mainly in major cities. With the evaporation of the big saloon came the birth of speakeasies, mostly hole-in-the-wall establishments that served illegal liquor. Many of these were basement apartments or storefronts with painted windows. An interesting note about speakeasies was that for every legitimate saloon that was closed as a result of prohibition, half a dozen speakeasies were opened. Among other illegal ways,
There was a cynicism that developed about the idealistic goals of the American government became a permanent presence in the American consciousness. With this in mind it is not hard to imagine why society found it completely acceptable to thumb its nose at the government and drink during Prohibition. This led to corruption being accepted. Because society believed that the government was authoritarian and wrong in its decision to make Prohibition a law, corruption became the buffer that society looked to as the polar opposite of the government. As the speakeasies rose to power, they brought the bootlegger to power with it. In New York City, there were vast possibilities for sudden wealth. These possibilities turned disorganized crime into organized crime. It created a union between Irish, Italian, and Jewish gangsters that was known as The Mob. Most had immigrated to New York from countries where the government and the police were considered a permanent enemy. Many of these immigrants had developed great survival skills while living on the margins of society and also had highly developed talents for conspiracy. Prohibition had turned the American government and police into the enemy, so these immigrants flourished in a society where the government was not trusted. Prohibition gave these people a chance to make a lot of money.
The boardwalks, swinging doors, spittoons, and mustache towels of the saloon era were gone. Speakeasies disguised themselves in multiple creative ways. Before a thirsty person could cross the illegal threshold, a password, specific handshake, or secret knock was required. Prohibition also changed the music that went along with drinking. At a typical saloon, there was the tinkle of a piano and dance hall girls. Speakeasies, however, ushered in the era of Jazz. Because there was stiff competition from numerous establishments, many of the speakeasies provided music for their patrons and hundreds of jazz musicians were able to find work. Another thing that was different about speakeasies was the inclusion of women. Prior to the amendment, women drank very little, and even if they did partake once in a while, it was only a bit of wine or sherry. Six months after Prohibition became a law in 1920, women received the right to vote. Women of the 1920’s began to come into their own and wanted to enjoy their newfound freedoms that they had fought so hard to earn. The “Jazz age” signified the loosening up of morals, which was the exact opposite of what Prohibition advocates had intended. With this loosening up came the “flapper”, an American woman who wore short skirts, had bobbed hair, and had powdered faces with bright red lips. These