Prohibition Dbq

On Midnight, January 16, 1920 the Prohibition orthe Noble Experiment hit the United States. The aim of Prohibition was to reduce crime, poverty, death rates, improve the economy, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene generally in America. For the first few months Prohibition was working just as it was planned to, crime rates were down and drunken disorderly behavior were diminished, however by late 1920 it was unenforceable. The explosive growth of crime and the amount of alcohol consumption was overbearing. People were finding ways to smuggle alcohol in to the country. Certain people such as Al Capone dominated the black market with bootlegged alcohol . Before long gangster groups such as the Chicago Outfit had such
Since bootlegging had such high profits more and more gangsters became involved. As a result of the money involved in the bootlegging industry, there was much rivalry between gangs. Incidentally, it was the large cities that were the main location for organized gangs. New York was thought to be one of the most gangster riddled cities in the United States but it was in fact Chicago that was the capital of racketeers including; Johnny Torrio; Bugs Moran; the Gennas and the OBanions. The most infamous gangster of all time Al Scarface Capone , was operating out of Chicago and was said to have been making an income of $100 million a year. Al Capone had began crime at the early age of 14 when he left school and had part time jobs as well as acting in the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors who then moved to Chicago as he was in danger from rival gangs. It was here in Chicago where he joined the Chicago Outfit and becoming the most well known gangster of the 20th