The decade that proceeded WWI was one of rapid social and political change in America. As G I 's returned home to ticker tape parades, public and political sentiment was shifting toward more Victorian ideals (Allen 61). The most explosive change that occurred in the 1920's was Prohibition. The passing of the 18th Amendment came about as many Americans were striving for "temperance". Many citizens were not shocked when the Amendment passed, as it had been in the works for years. The social climate that had culminated by 1920 warranted Prohibition (Allen 81). As the Volstead Act became enforced, opposition toward the dry act reached phenomenal proportions. Bootlegging and the rise of "gang land" as we know it came about as a response to Prohibition. The dry act instigated a crime wave that no one at the time would have foreseen (Pensoneau 21).
             Prohibition was official on January 20th, 1920. In short, the new amendment stated that intoxicating beverages could no longer be manufactured or sold with the exception of religious or medical purposes. In order to understand how the 18th Amendment came into existence it is necessary to examine the attitudes that lead to it. In the year after the Armistice was signed, there was a public repulsion for anything German (this included beer). There was a move towards Prohibition as a food saving measure, because Americans at home reasoned that it was not right to consume grains used to make alcohol when these resources could be used to make food for the men overseas (Allen 214).
             Prohibition also resulted because of the economic times in America. Americans were consuming more material goods than ever before. With gas stations popping up everywhere and increased numbers of citizens owning homes, Americans strived toward their ideal of a "Utopian" society. Many thought that sobriety would foster these Utopian dreams of perfect efficiency ...