PROHIBITION

Prohibition was a period during the 1920's when the

United States outlawed the sale, manufacturing and transporting of alcohol. This was created because after the American Revolution drinking was on the rise tremendously. Wives liked this new movement cause they felt their husbands would now stop spending their families income on alcohol.

The Volsted Act was then passed that clarified the 18th Amendment that stated that "beer, wine or any other malt or vinous liquors is illegal."

This period of time opened up a new form of gangsters. The most popular one being Al Capone, an American Gangster from Chicago. The gangsters would go and hire men to smuggle in alcohol from either the Carribean or Canada. They would then open up secret bars called "Speakeasies" where men would secretly go and drink and socialize with friends.

In 1929 the stock market crashed severly. People and the goverment were starting to look at Prohibition differently. The people were in need of jobs and the goverment needed money. So they realized that legalizing alcohol would create more jobs for people and create sales tax for the goverment. On December 5, 1933 the goverment ratified the 18th Amendment and created the 21st Amendment stating that alcohol is legal again! The 18th Amendment is the only Amendment to ever be repealed.

Information was found on

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm