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Dbq Essay On Alcohol In The 1920s

901 Words4 Pages

In the early 1920s, the views on alcohol in America had two very different standpoints. On one side, there were the people who believed that alcohol was a good contribution to society. These people were known as Modernists. On the other side, there were the people known as traditionalists who thought alcohol was evil and corrupt. These two sides differ in opinions which led to the debate against the drys and the wets. The passing of the Eighteenth Amendment was supported by the traditionalists, but created havoc in the cities which was predicted by the modernist and resulted in the repeal of the prohibition and can be compared to the Twenty-first century debate on the legalization of marijuana. There were many reasons why fundamentalists …show more content…

Wets believe that alcohol was a key contributor that helped society thrive in the 1920s. When the Eighteenth Amendment was passed, instead of solving issues, it created more; many jobs were lost as a result of the amendment. Tax revenue decreased and the government lost eleven million dollars (Doc 1). Society’s need and want for alcohol did not subside after the passing of this amendment. This led to people taking drastic measures to inquire alcohol. Liquor clubs, secret drinking clubs, started popping up throughout the cities. As well as clubs being formed, alcohol was being illegally manufactured, sold, and consumed in stills, which was known as bootlegging. Tainted liquor was being made everyday by the common folk resulting in the deaths of many Americans (Doc 4). More serious offenses arose such as organized crimes conducted by gangsters. By this time, crime rates were skyrocketing, the economy was at an all time low, and families were being torn apart (Doc1). These factors led to the Twenty-first Amendment taking place in 1933, which repealed the prohibition of alcohol. Looking back in history at things such as the prohibition of alcohol can give us insight into current issues such as the legalization of

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