PROHIBITION
Goal #44
Americans outlaw alcohol. It has
unintended consequences such as lawlessness
and start of the Mafia in the U.S.
I. 18TH AMENDMENT PASSED IN 1919
PROHIBITION
A. Era known as
Prohibition

1. Illegal to make,
sell or transport alcohol
in the U.S.

Prohibition lasted from
1920 to 1933
DRINKING
Drinking was a favorite
pastime of the flappers.
B. Break down of rule of law
- Men and women broke the
law in record numbers.
II. SPEAKEASIES AND BOOTLEGGERS
Many Americans did not believe
drinking was a sin
 To obtain liquor illegally, drinkers
went to A. hidden saloons known as
speakeasies (100,000 in NYC)
 People also bought liquor from B.
bootleggers who smuggled it in from
Canada, Cuba and the West Indies
Bootlegging became a billion dollar
industry

C. 1,500 Federal agents (G-men) tried
to enforce the law
III. ORGANIZED CRIME
Prohibition contributed
to the A. growth of
organized crime (Mafia)
everywhere
 Chicago became
notorious as the home of 1.
Al Capone – famous
bootlegger & crime boss
 Capone took control of
the Chicago liquor
business by killing off his
competition

Al Capone was finally
convicted on tax evasion
charges in 1931
Lawlessness
B. Bank robberies also
increased during this time
C. Gang rivalries - One gang
would line up rival gang
members and shoot them down,
IV. PROHIBITION REPEALED
A. Many
Americans felt
Prohibition caused
more problems
than it solved
 1. The 21st
Amendment
finally repealed
Prohibition in
1933
