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Carlos L. Bonetti

Ms. Majorie Ceballos

English IV

December 1st, 2005

Prohibition during the 1920's

Prohibition is defined as forbidding by law the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol liquor, except for medicinal and sacramental purposes. In 1917, the government passed the law known as the 18th Amendment. This amendment outlined the prohibition of making, transporting, or selling of any alcohol beverages. This was passed by 36 states. In 1933 the amendment was repealed by the 21st Amendment. Although the act was repealed, damage was still done. During the prohibition years, the government became corrupt, the homicide rate increased tremendously, and there was a high amount of alcohol related deaths.

By 1875, seventeen states including North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama had outlawed the selling of alcohol beverages. By 1905 nineteen states including New York, Florida and Texas had also boycotted the selling of liquor. This caused an uproar among the Wets (people who disagreed with prohibition) and the Drys which were people who agreed with it. The Wets and the Drys boycotted against each other's businesses, and street brawls often broke out.(Stewart 12) Fights began to occur frequently. By the end of World War I in 1918, liquor producers and politicians from Wet communities were one

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of the only important opponents of Prohibition left. People did not understand why the distribution of liquor was not allowed. The majority of immigrants flooding into the United States mostly from Northern and Eastern Hemisphere were confused about all the controversies that were spreading. People all over the world began to hear about it.

Although there were many organizations that assisted the government there were others that fought against the National Prohibition Act. The Ohio based Anti-Saloon League was one of the organizations Helping the government. William Jennings Bryan was a strong proponent of Prohibition and became the spokesman. On the other hand Pierre du Pont who supported the Prohibition Act changed his point of views and joined the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment. The AAPA was one of the strongest organization along with Du Ponts dedication

Since Prohibition came about many people continued to resent the fact that liquor and alcohol beverages were not allowed. People wanted to still enjoy a good night out and be able to drink and socialize. People needed a place to meet with other people to drink and socialize and speakeasies became popular. Speakeasies were places where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed illegally. When a person is going to a speakeasy, they are always eyed through s peephole as he/she knocks on the door of the club.(Stewart 15) Admittance to the speakeasies were often a complicated, secretive process. People were drinking but were still frighten of getting caught and arrested. (Schlesinger 27) Speakeasies often occupied a penthouse, a brownstone rooming house, clubs, bars and even a Wall Street office building.

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The amount of speakeasies continued to grow despite the efforts of incorruptible

agents. Celebrity and business men were amazed by the speakeasies, which gained status with their patronage. The owner of the speakeasies were to turn away ordinary customer in order to seat famous patrons at the best and most visible location. This helped the speakeasies generate more business. People clamored to get inside and rub shoulders with the wealthy and well known. This caused drinking to become popular and the publics opinion had changed on the 18th Amendment. The new freedoms being experienced by the public were embraced and enjoyed to the fullest degree.

The demand for alcohol and liquor seemed to rise more than ever during the Prohibition era. The public demanded alcohol and supply grew to meet the demand. Customers, speakeasy owners, bootleggers (which were people who illegally sold smuggled or pirated goods) banded together to keep the liquor trade operating.

While the community was getting drunk the crime rate boosted also. The government created the Prohibition Bureau to enforce the law. Even though these were agents hired by the bureau, they became one of main factors in the departments corruption.( Nishi 15) The "Untouchables" on the other hand were known for not being corrupted. The squad was known for being honest law enforcement officers.(16) These men were a strong force for the Prohibition Bureau, but they were not the only ones.

Isadore Einstein and Moe Smith known as " Izzy and Moe" were two famous prohibition agents who became a strong team for the Prohibition Bureau. The two together made 4,392 arrests in their five year career. Izzy and Moe often dressed as street cleaners, tourists, or working class stiffs to infiltrate speakeasies. Their techniques were

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outrageous but successful. As their popularity spread, jealousy set in among high-ranking

agents and in 1925 both men were fired.

Organized crime was often protected by crooked politicians who directly or indirectly thwarted police intervention in the gangsters' activities in the exchange for the gangsters' promise of support in the next election, usually in the form of stuffed ballot boxes.(Schlesinger 30) William Hale Thompson also known as "Big Bill" was elected mayor of Chicago in 1914. "Big Bill" vowed to clean up the dirt of the rotten administration in power. However his most supportive campaigners were gangsters.

Every city had its gangs and gang leaders. New York had a dozen, among them two led by thugs named Owney Madden and Dutch Schultz. Kansas City had Solly Weissman and Philadelphia had its Maxie Hoff. Detroit, which was a major entry point for smugglers also had the Purple Gang. But the king of them all was Chicago, a city whose name became a synonym for thuggery, violence and mass murder.

In Chicago organized crime gained a strong foothold, corruption, crime, politics, and liquor were firmly