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Woodrow Wilson And The Prosecution Of The Volstead Act (1919)

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“If anyone wants to go to hell in a hurry, there are greased banks aplenty in Miami.” Said a distressed minister, who watched as other states enacted the prohibition before Miami (KCTS9, 1). 1919-1933 was a time of war between the ‘dry’ members and the ‘wet’ members. It all started in 1917 when Woodrow Wilson implemented a temporary wartime prohibition when the United States entered World War I, in order to save grain for producing food (history.com, 4). Though it was only supposed to last for a stipulated seven-year time limit, the amendment caught on, and received the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states in just 11 months. Numerous people were disappointed with the enforcement of the 18th Amendment. The Volstead Act was then implemented in order to give federal agents freedom in the investigation and prosecution against those violating the Prohibition laws. The Act also established an intoxication level of .5 percent alcoholic content. “It was championed by Representative Andrew Volstead of Mississippi, the chairman of the Hose Judiciary Committee, the legislation was more commonly known as the Volstead Act” (History.com, 5). The problem with the Act was the underwhelming amount of accountability being enforced on those prosecuting the violators, led to an abuse of power, with events such unwarranted raids. “So evident was the corruption that saturated the Prohibition force from the very beginning that …show more content…

It is the most demoralizing factor in our public life.” Coming from Warren G. Harding, this was saying quite a lot” (Okrent,

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