ipl-logo

Hypocrisy Of The 18th Amendment

543 Words3 Pages

Temporary fun with lifelong consequences; alcohol. In 1919 the 18th amendment was ratified, this amendment declared it illegal to manufacture, transport and sell alcoholic beverages. America repealed Prohibition due to the crime rate increasing, failure of enforcement and no money being made off of alcohol. Due to the crime rate increasing majorly during Prohibition America had second thoughts on it. The US Census and FBI Uniform Crime Reports in Drug War Facts shows us a graph representing the homicide rate before, during and after the years of Prohibition. Before Prohibition the homicide number in 1919 was approximately 7 per every 100,000 Americans. In the middle of Prohibition, year 1933, the homicide rate had rose to 10 per every 100,000 Americans. A couple years after Prohibition had ended, year 1940, the homicide rate dropped back …show more content…

The men who created this law were not even following it. A deputy U.S Attorney General for Prohibition enforcement, Mabel Walker Willebrandt explains she is tired of the hypocrisy. It she showed by her asking “How can you have the heart to prosecute a bootlegger, send a man to jail for six months or a year for selling a pint or quart of whiskey, when you know for a fact that the men who make the laws.. Are themselves patronizing bootleggers?” (Doc. D) This document conveys that Americans wanted to repeal the 18th Amendment because it is unfair to have to follow a law that law makers are not even following themselves. In addition, the failure of enforcement was due to the fact of there not being enough police to stop everyone from getting alcohol. Frederic J. Haskin states, “Smuggling from Mexico and Canada has been successful on a large scale because it is an utter impossibility to patrol thousands of miles of border… (B)ootleggers…” (Doc. C) Everyone knew they could get alcohol one way or another because there was not enough cops to patrol the

Show More
Related

  • Prohibitio Prohibition Dbq Essay

    579 Words  | 3 Pages

    Due to this fact bootleggers,gangsters, and dope sellers were able to take full advantage of the situation (Doc A). More than a few “crime bosses” rose to fame by taking over illegal breweries and transportation networks (which were secured through violence means). Smugglers got around the law by importing alcohol three miles outside of American soil. The fact that there were only about 3,000-3,500 enforcement units stationed throughout the country made many of the operations very successful (Doc C). 1919 to 1933 had the highest rate of homicides (Doc B).

    Read More

  • 18th Amendment Of Prohibition Dbq Essay

    533 Words  | 3 Pages

    Near the end of Prohibition, there was an average of 10 homicides per 100,000 people in America. Another way in which crime increased was the smuggling of alcoholic beverages. In Document C, it stated that "On the Atlantic Coast the smugglers are so numerous and so active that there is at all times a rum fleet standing off or anchored outside the 3-mile limit near New York and New Jersey.” The extreme increase in crime that the government couldn't really do anything about, changed Americans point of view on Prohibition.

    Read More

  • Why Did America Change Its Mind On Prohibition

    214 Words  | 1 Pages

    Why did America change its mind on prohibition? Well it all started on January 16th 1919 in Nebraska when you weren’t allowed to sale alcohol. The state and government are the ones would have the power to pass the laws that requires Americans to obey the Amendment. Place yourself in 1920 if you had the choice to pass the law of prohibition would you? If it was me I wouldn’t because it would save a lot of trouble and arguments.

    Read More

  • How Did Prohibition Change The Culture Of The 1920's

    525 Words  | 3 Pages

    The amount of illegal drinking and illegal activity during prohibition relate to the changing social values and culture of the 1920's. This was right after the war so people wanted to celebrate and have fun. Since there were a lot of loopholes in the Volstead Act, people tried to go around it to be able to drink. This was changing the culture by the crime rate increasing, and the people were changing their values In the past adults cared more about their young children, but now it seems as if going out and drinking were more important. Single women values changed as drinking got more popular.

    Read More

  • How Did Prohibition Occur In The 1920s

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    There was only around 1500 agents to enforce the Prohibition when the law went into effect in 1920. Those 1500 agents were paid such measly wages that they were easily bribed by the same people they were supposed to be looking for. The Prohibition gave rise to many well-known gangsters. Al Capone was the most notorious. He made his money from running speakeasies and the distribution of alcohol.

    Read More

  • Prohibition Dbq Essay

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Congress was not helping to enforce this law either. In fact, they were violators of the law themselves. According to Mabel Walker Willebrandt in Document D, Congressmen and Senators were in drunk dazes on the floor constantly. This evidence supports the fact that the enforcement of the law was not great. Despite this, bootleggers were very smart to find these methods of illegality in such short time.

    Read More

  • Prohibition Dbq

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    Just think, no wine.no beer,no whiskey. This is prohibition. The leaders of the prohibition movement were alarmed at the drinking behavior of Americans. The law was ratified by the Federal and state government In January,1919.Prohibition in the United States was a measure designed to reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages. The Eighteenth Amendment (prohibition law) to the United States Constitution took away license to do business from the brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages.

    Read More

  • Prohibition's Failure Essay

    462 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prohibition led to the rise of organized crime and failed as a policy due to many loopholes and large numbers of corrupt officials. Though started with good intentions it was not a good policy because it destroyed jobs and attempted to destroy an industry. These reasons lead to Prohibition’s failure and the repealing of the 18th Amendment in

    Read More

  • 1920s Dbq Analysis

    471 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1919, Congress passed the 18th Amendment which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in America (Doc B). Prohibitionists overlooked the tenacious American tradition of strong drink and of weak control by the central government. Thus, there was tension between the modernists and the traditionalists. Although the amendment was passed, alcohol was still distributed illegally. Actually, prohibition spawned many crimes, such as illegal sale of alcohol and gang wars.

    Read More

  • Prohibition Dbq

    325 Words  | 2 Pages

    enforcing the Prohibition would decrease crime rates. On the contrary, they increased. Franklin D. Roosevelt pledged to the end the Prohibition. Shortly after, in 1923, the 21st Amendment was put into place. The 21st Amendment repealed the ban on alcohol.

    Read More

  • Cultural Changes In The 1920s Essay

    713 Words  | 3 Pages

    The prohibition outlawed alcohol to try and diminish the crime rate. This led to a higher consumption of alcohol and illicit speakeasies. As fast as the police closed down one venue, more would spring up in its place (Prohibition in the United States). Government intrusion with the Volstead Act of 1919 outlawed beverages over 0.5 alcohol volume

    Read More

  • DBQ Essay: The Role Of Prohibition In The United States

    813 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1920, the beginning of prohibition, there were roughly 1,064 deaths from alcohol poisoning. However, within 5 years, the alcohol poisoning death rate increased a whopping 500 percent. In the entire duration or prohibition, the alcohol poisoning death rate increased about 1000 percent. During all of prohibition, there were about 10,000 deaths from alcohol poisoning. Also, the homicide rate between 100 and 1950 was at its peak during prohibition (Document B).

    Read More

  • Why Is Prohibition Important In The Great Gatsby

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    The following about banning liquor is said by “Tuggleb”; “This, as is the case even today with illegal industries, led to a black market and, consequently, a radical increase of citizens’ wealth who were willing to take advantage of this spiked demand.” (College of

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Prohibition

    461 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prohibition was a period of 13 years in U.S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal from 1920 to 1933. It was known as the “Noble Experiment” and led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. There were many reasons for why prohibition was introduced, one was that a ban on alcohol would practically boost supplies of important grains such as barley. Another was, when America entered the war in 1917, the national mood turned against drinking alcohol.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Effects Of Prohibition In The Great Gatsby

    664 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1920s was a time of entrepreneurship, big spending, and partying. At the heart of these parties was the popular 1920s activity of drinking, Which was threatened by prohibition. The law of prohibition came into effect on January 16, 1920 and was intended to end drinking and drunkenness. However this policy backfired and sent the American alcohol industry into black market functions.

    Read More

More about Hypocrisy Of The 18th Amendment

Open Document