1. Prohibition

2. Vocabulary Prohibition 18th Amendment Volstead Act Speakeasies
Era in American society where Alcohol is illegal
18th Amendment
Prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages.
Volstead Act
Congressional act that defined an “intoxicating drink” as more than .5% alcohol
Speakeasies
Hidden saloons where alcohol was sold illegally
Bootleggers
Alcohol smugglers, carried liquor in the legs of their boots

3. Why Prohibition A movement to stop corruption: Led by groups such as:
Child/Wife abuse
Crime
Accidents on the Job
Other serious social problems
Led by groups such as:
Anti-Saloon League
Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
Many Protestants from South and West

4. The Effect of WW1 on Prohibition
Fed off of Anti-German Sentiment
Most Breweries owned by German Americans
• Anti-Saloon league called beer “Kaiser’s Brew”
Need to Conserve Wheat
Jan Wilson instituted a partial prohibition in effort to conserve grain
Sept 1917 – banned a wartime production of beer
“Grain should be made into bread for fighting men and not for making liquor.”

5. Pro vs. Con of Prohibition
Read Articles  Write pros and cons of Prohibition
Answer the follo

6. The Effects of Prohibition on the 1920s
Normal Americans wanted to stop making sacrifices and enjoy life.
Little $ given to enforce the law
Speakeasies opened up underground
Bootleggers began smuggling alcohol
Moonshine and other home made alcohol was created
Organized Crime developed to sell illegal alcohol at high prices
Led to a lot of violence

7. The End of Prohibition
By mid-1920s, only 19% of Americans supported prohibition
Rise of crime and lawlessness had worsened, according to those who opposed the law.
Law was repealed in 1933 with the 21st Amendment – result of Great Depression (jobs and taxes)