Dbq Prohibition

A world without alcohol is hard to believe. Most of today 's society wouldn’t be able to wrap their head around it. In the United States prohibition was a nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages it remained in place from 1920 to 1933. When the 18th amendment was passed in the year 1919 America was asking for chaos. With everything that affected the United States during prohibition, it is because of the increase in crime, weak enforcement, lack of respect for the law, and economic suffrage that the 18th amendment was repealed.
To begin, crime was at a high during this event in history. For example, between 1919 and 1933 the homicide rate was 7-10 americans per 100,000 (document B). The homicide rates were increasing during prohibition. In the time of WWII homicide rates dropped but were still at 6 americans per 100,000 (document B). Another example, (document A) gangsters, racketeers, and all their friends were happy about prohibition. Therefore, there had to be something wrong with the law. Crime was so high Americans were completely against prohibition.

There was very weak enforcement. For example, there was only 3,000 to 3,500 federal Prohibition agents in 1923 (document C). There were hardly any officers to enforce, so it was difficult to control bootlegging (document C). Law in general was so corrupt at this point. Mabel Walker Willebrandt states how upset she is at the fact law enforcers themselves aren’t following the laws (document D). It was a double-standard. It was a waste of time and funds trying to enforce something they can’t. Especially if lawmakers can’t follow the laws themselves (document