Prohibition in america
On Midnight of January 15, 1920 the United States inaugurated an era of sobriety like we have never seen before. As the eighteenth amendment, or the Temperance act, took effect bartenders everywhere were ordered to destroy all alcohol with a volume of .5% or more.The 18th amendment has dealt a heavy blow to our society as a whole. Men who wish to have their usual after work beer at the local pub will have to do without, as all pubs, bars and saloons have to throw away their entire stock of alcohol. If you think you can get away with the occasional "spirit or beer" you better think again. If the Federal bureau of Prohibition Enforcement catches you, you could be put away for up to five years in a federal penitentiary. The skies are gray today and Americans all acr
oss the country are faced with the fact that they may never be able to enjoy a nice drink. On that dark day that will live in infamy, allied with other temperance forces, especially the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the league oversaw the election of the two-thirds majorities necessary in both houses of Congress to initiate what has become the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Approximately 1,500 federal agents and local police will be patrolling 18,700 miles of coastline as well as inland borders, tracking illegal stills, and monitoring highways. The question many people are asking is, how will the banning of alcohol affect a society based greatly on of the consumption of liquor? This especially affects the many European immigrants living on American soil, who have grown up with alcohol playing a large role in their culture. Some believe that the task of enforcing prohibition through the Volstead Act is far too large and will prove to be an experiment with good intentions and a bad outcome. Is this really a solution to our problems or will it backfire and cause more trouble than its worth? Mixed opinions are circulating through the country and the argument rages. The World War gave the league and its allies a boost in the quest to persuade Americans to support constitutional prohibition. In 1913 at their 20th anniversary convention, the league announced its campaign to achieve national prohibition through a constitutional amendment. Is this the end of our society? Prohibitionists had some success even before national prohibition; in 1905 three American states had already outlawed alcohol, by 1912 it was up to 9 states, and by 1916, legal prohibition was already in effect in 26 of the 48 states. For many, the future has a long, bumpy, sober road in store. Reformers have considered liquor a prime cause of corruption in society. The Anti-Saloon League, founded in 1893, has become a very powerful national organization that focuses fully on prohibition. Keep your eyes peeled for gentlemen dressed in dark suits and fedoras; they just might be your local FBPE agents. Mobilization called for sacrifice, for supporting the soldiers, and the dry forces quickly capitalized on the patriotic emotions surrounding the war effort.
Common topics in this essay:
Volstead Act,
World War,
Midnight January,
Prohibition Enforcement,
Anti-Saloon League,
Temperance Union,
eighteenth amendment,
national prohibition,
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