Prohibition anniversary – Raise a glass to a failed experiment
Posted by TBN Editor On 01/15/2017
Prince Frederick, MD – The year was 1920 and on Jan. 17 a law mandated by a constitutional amendment—the 18th Amendment—began the start of
Prohibition. It was the law of the land until 1933. Prohibition was the culmination of a movement that began in the early 19th century. In 1846 Maine became the
first state to enact an alcohol prohibition law. The movement’s momentum was stalled during the Civil War but in 1869 a national Prohibition Party was formed. In
1881 Kansas became the first state to ban alcohol.
The campaign against alcohol was championed by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and gained greater momentum under the leadership of the
Anti-Saloon League.
The debate between the “drys” and “wets” raged on during the early 20th century. The 18th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1917. In 1919, 36 states had
approved the amendment, ratifying it. In Oct. 1919 the Volstead Act—the National Prohibition Act—passed over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. Under the
terms of the measure, Prohibition took effect Jan. 17, 1920.
History.com points out that it was not illegal to drink alcohol during Prohibition. The law banned importation, transportation and the sale of alcohol. In its 13 years
of existence Prohibition did, in fact, reduce alcohol consumption nationwide. However, it also led to the rise of criminal activity.
It should also be noted that doctors were allowed to prescribe certain alcoholic beverages for medicinal purposes. Wine used for religious rituals was also
permitted.
While stories of Prohibition scofflaws in the nation’s biggest cities—New York with its “speak-easies” and Chicago with its organized crime figures like Al
Capone—Prohibition was a provocative time in Maryland as well.
Kevin Leonard of the Laurel Leader wrote an essay published in the Baltimore Sun in 2014. Leonard pointed out that Maryland was the only state that refused to
pass an enforcement act. “It [alcohol importation, transportation and sale] was still against the law in Maryland but enforcement was left to federal officials,”
Leonard stated. The scofflaws gave the feds quite a run, too. Leonard stated Route 1 through Laurel was the scene of many chases involving the feds and
bootleggers, which often resulted in crashes.
The feds also made several raids in Southern Maryland. A 2014 essay by Samuel C.P. Baldwin Jr. as part of the John Hanson Briscoe Historical Project, includes
the recollections of several St. Mary’s County residents. “Despite the enactment of Prohibition laws, whiskey stills abounded in St. Mary's County during the
1920s and 1930s,” Baldwin wrote. “Aleck Loker, prominent local historian, wrote ‘when the nation went dry, St. Mary's County rediscovered the value of
home-brewed liquor. Bootlegging offered a large return on investment--about $24 for each $4 sack of sugar.’ "
You can read more of Baldwin’s compilation of accounts here.
Contact Marty Madden at [email protected]
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