Prohibition in the United States

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Prohibition in the United States was the country-wide ban on the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States from 1920 to 1933. This prohibition was also known as The Noble Experiment (English for "The honorable experiment ") designated. Under considerable pressure from the abstention movement , the United States Senate proposed the 18th Amendment on December 18, 1917. After being ratified by 36 states, it was ratified on January 16, 1919 and came into force a year later. Some states had previously enforced prohibitions.

The Volstead Act , the common name for the National Prohibition Act , passed Congress on October 28, 1919 despite President Woodrow Wilson's veto. The act defined intoxicating alcoholic beverages.

Although alcohol was now banned, little was done to enforce the law. The illegal production and distribution of alcohol was spreading rapidly, and the government did not have the resources or will to monitor every border, river, lake, and speakeasy in America. In New York alone , the number of these whispering bars rose from around 5,000 to 30,000 between 1922 and 1927. Other estimates for 1927 even put 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs.

Prohibition became increasingly unpopular during the Great Depression , especially in large cities. On March 23, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed what became known as the Cullen-Harrison Act to repeal the Volstead Act and permit the manufacture and sale of certain alcoholic beverages. On December 5, 1933, the signing of the 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment.

prehistory

Warning of King Alcohol on posters and pamphlets

There had been social struggles over the alcohol ban for a long time: at the beginning of the 19th century, they were primarily directed against the consumption of brandy , v. a. Whiskey that had grown to extremes until it declined again around the middle of the century. From the 1860s on, the art of brewing beer came to North America with the German immigrants . Thanks to the new electric cooling methods of the time and the faster distribution by the railroad, the new drink found widespread sales and changed consumption habits: the breweries in cities such as New York , St. Louis , Cincinnati and Milwaukee grew into highly profitable companies. Saloon owners tried to increase their profit through gambling and prostitution and also tried new advertising methods to induce customers to consume alcohol. Various groups initially combated alcohol consumption at the municipal and state level. The Prohibition Party had existed in the political arena since 1869 . The “Christian Women 's Christian Temperance Union ” was also very active, and then finally, from the end of the 19th century, the Anti-Saloon League , such as the “Alliance against the Bars”. The Anti-Saloon League was founded in 1893 in Oberlin ( Ohio founded). It found new followers so quickly that local prohibitions were increasingly pronounced, and it quickly spread across the country. This movement is related to other social movements of the time: Prohibitionists were almost exclusively evangelical Protestants and came from rural or small-town America in the South and Midwest . They viewed alcohol consumption as the root of all evil that threatened traditional societal values through industrialization , the growth of the working class , immigration and life in big cities: alcohol was associated with violence, organized crime and political corruption, in keeping with the spirit of the times Progressive era and its will to reform society was fought. Politically, the supporters of Prohibition were mostly based in the Republican Party . There were also entrepreneurs among them, such as Henry Ford , who hoped that a ban on alcohol consumption would improve discipline and improve the productivity of their workers. In many cases, the movements for the introduction of alcohol prohibition were carried out by women, as many wives and mothers suffered from drinking and violent husbands and the lives of families were destroyed. There was also an overlap with the women's movement : It was not by chance that an amendment to the constitution on women's suffrage was passed at almost the same time . The US political elite were reluctant to side with proponents of Prohibition because they were financially dependent on the breweries and distilleries that generated high tax revenues. This only changed with the introduction of federal income tax in 1913. The final turnaround in public opinion took place during the First World War , when the United States joined the war against the German Empire and its allies on the Entente side : as almost all of the major breweries were in German hands and beer consumption was associated with the German-American culture , alcohol was now considered unpatriotic and un-American: The constitutional amendment introducing prohibition was passed just a few months after the end of the war.

As a counter-movement, the Anti-Temperance Societies formed , which, for example, had a strong faction among the Baptists . They continued to believe that alcohol was a gift from God.

The "drained zones" appeared on certain American maps - initially mainly in the countryside. In 1851, the first American state , Maine , introduced prohibition. By 1916, prohibition had been introduced in 23 states, in 17 of them by popular vote.

introduction

The increased need for food during the war gave the anti-alcohol movement additional justification and put politicians under pressure. The "Volstead Act" defined as alcoholic beverages all with an alcohol content of over 0.5 % vol. President Wilson initially vetoed this provision; however, the pressure of public opinion was so strong that a two-thirds majority was found in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, which made the president's veto ineffective. On January 16, 1919, it was ratified under President Wilson and added to the constitution as the 18th Amendment ; this was necessary because, according to the constitution, such trade regulations were previously reserved for the individual states and the congress could not issue a nationwide trade ban through normal legislation. The law came into force on January 16, 1920.

" 18th addition

  • Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this Article, the manufacture, sale or transport of intoxicating alcoholic beverages within the territory of the United States, and import and export from the United States and any territory under its jurisdiction, are hereby prohibited. ( After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. )
  • Section 2. Congress and each state shall have the same power to enforce this article by law. ( The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. )
  • Section 3. This article becomes ineffective unless it is endorsed as an amendment to the constitution by the state legislature within seven years from the date of its submission by Congress to the state. ( This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. ) "

The introduction of prohibition against alcohol ran parallel to the introduction of women's suffrage . By 1900 only eleven states had given women the right to vote. On August 28, 1920, almost simultaneously with the beginning of nationwide prohibition, women's suffrage was incorporated into the constitution. In this context, Sigmund Freud wrote in 1927 in "The Future of an Illusion":

Showcase of the American anti-suffragist organization

“Anyone who has been taking sleeping pills for decades naturally cannot sleep if the drug is withdrawn from them. The fact that the effect of religious consolation can be equated with that of a narcotic is nicely explained by a process in America. There they want to deprive people of all stimulants, intoxicants and stimulants - apparently under the influence of women - and they are saturated with fear of God to compensate. You don't need to be curious about the outcome of this experiment either "

- Sigmund Freud : Questions of Society - Origins of Religion. The future of an illusion

Positive impact

Alcohol consumption has demonstrably decreased as a result of prohibition. Alcohol-politically unaffected physicians cite prohibition as an example of how alcohol-related harm, e.g. B. the number of deaths from cirrhosis of the liver could be reduced. The number of alcohol consumers who migrated to illegality and who died of cirrhosis of the liver caused by their illness has therefore not reached the level of those who died during the period of legal alcohol consumption. There was a significant decrease in alcohol-related deaths during the period of almost prohibition from 1910 to 1920, a low from 1920 to 1931 and a slow but steady increase since then.

Negative impacts

A form for a medical prescription ("Medicinal Alcohol form")

The goal of reducing crime was not achieved. The approximately 2,300 low-wage prohibition agents across the country were unable to fully enforce the ban. In the following years, the illegal business developed very quickly as the demand for alcohol did not stop. Only selling was considered a criminal offense, not mere consumption. This gave crime a considerable boost. Between 1920 and 1921 alone, crime increased by 24%. Crime also increased sharply throughout the 1920s:

  • 13% more serious crimes
  • 81% more cases of drunk driving (although the simultaneous increase in the number of cars available must be taken into account)
  • 9% more other offenses

The most devastating effects of prohibition in terms of the rise in crime have been seen particularly in organized crime . Criminals like Johnny Torrio and Al Capone in Chicago, for example, literally built their own complete alcohol industry because the ban made it possible to charge much higher prices for alcohol.

  • Production: also “moonshining” - brewing and distilling in illegal micro-businesses, often run by individuals from the lower classes.
  • Import: In the USA during the prohibition era, the term pipeline was used to describe a transport network operated by smugglers' gangs. This consisted of tunnels and prepared trucks (for smuggling from Mexico and Canada) as well as a whole fleet of smugglers. In the Cuban city of Varadero there is a villa that Al Capone used as a liquor depot; Today the Casa de Al restaurant is located there . The alcohol was transported from Cuba to Florida on yachts . The routes of these ships were popularly known as "Schnapsstrasse" (English Rum Row ).
  • Distribution: Most of the sales were in illegal pubs ( speakeasys ).

In the course of Prohibition, New York coroner Charles Norris estimated that around 10,000 deaths were caused by poisoning. On Christmas 1926 alone, 31 people died in New York. In the course of the prohibition there was less and less properly distilled alcohol available. In the event of an unclean fire , the poisonous methanol from the flow was not always correctly separated from the distillate and was therefore often found in toxic concentrations in the finished drink. Alcohol for medical or industrial purposes was denatured more and more during Prohibition and poisonous additives were added to prevent abuse. But still this alcohol was drunk and thus led to fatal poisoning.

abolition

US newsreel footage to abolish prohibition

The pressure from the citizens, who disliked the unmistakable successes of the “illegal” industry and its increasingly on the street armed struggle for shares, as well as those who did not understand the law, e. B. War returnees from the First World War , grew steadily and ultimately shook Prohibition. This eventually led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment by the 21st Amendment of February 20, 1933 during the final stages of President Herbert Hoover's tenure .

" Art. 21

  • Section 1. The eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is hereby repealed. ( The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. )
  • Section 2. The shipment or importation of intoxicating alcoholic beverages into a state , territory or possession of the United States for the purpose of delivery or use therein is hereby prohibited in violation of any law thereunder. ( The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited. )
  • Section 3. This article will be void unless ratified by the state legislatures in accordance with the constitution within seven years from the date of its submission by Congress to the states as an amendment to the constitution . ( This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. ) "

This attempt has not yet been repeated in the USA; the ban was not tenable. There was always drinkable alcohol for sale somewhere; especially in New York City and Chicago . Especially in the so-called “speakeasys”, ie camouflaged locations, in which it was not too loud (outwardly). In the early 1920s, police estimated the number of illegal pubs in New York City to be 32,000 - twice as many as there were pre-Prohibition legal pubs.

Organized gangs had taken over the organization of the illegal alcohol trade. In the metropolitan area of ​​New York City, the American Cosa Nostra dominated 25% and the so-called Kosher Nostra 70% of the black market; the rest was shared by Irish or other groups. In Chicago, however, the Chicago outfit prevailed under Al Capone , which fatally prevailed against the Irish North Side Gang . The profits from this trade were immense compared to the previously operated business areas of the gangs and were later only exceeded by income from the illegal drug trade , in particular with heroin and cocaine or designer drugs . The alcohol ban has in no way achieved its goals; on the contrary, it really helped criminal gangsterism to flourish and promoted corruption . The political influence of the black money created has repeatedly protected the Cosa Nostra from criminal prosecution. The underpaid prohibition agents who were supposed to monitor the ban were made compliant through bribery and threats. Bribed police officers revealed the date of a raid or generally looked the other way; high-ranking politicians and officials B. issued gun licenses or prevented public prosecutor investigations.

Like the introduction of Prohibition, its lifting had to be implemented by the individual states. This was done through referendums and not through the respective parliaments of the individual states . Prohibition ended nationwide on December 5, 1933, when Utah, the 36th state ratified the 21st amendment to the constitution, which meant that 3/4 of the (then 48) states had been reached. However, this amendment left it up to the states to continue prohibition on their own. In 1948 it still existed in three states. It was not until 1966 that the last US state, Mississippi , abolished it. However, there are individual cities and districts in the southern states that have remained "dry" to this day, so-called "dry counties" . In many states the purchase of alcohol is still only allowed in state-owned stores (also known as alcoholic beverage control states ), some of which only exist in relatively small numbers and have very limited opening times by American standards. In some states, bringing alcohol from other states is still a criminal offense.

Long-term consequences

  • Organized crime: Although alcohol smugglers were deprived of their “core business” as a result of the end of Prohibition, the structures of organized crime remained and looked for new business areas. These consisted primarily of the trafficking of still illegal narcotics such as opium , from which the organized drug trade , which still exists today, developed.
  • Brewing: Of the several thousand breweries before Prohibition, only large breweries remained after 1933 that had survived with the production of “ near beer ” .
  • Viticulture: Due to the large-scale clearing of vineyards, viticulture was still poor for decades.
  • Drinking behavior: Cocktails , mostly mixed from strong spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, remained more popular than wine and beer for a long time after the prohibition in the USA.
  • Biofuel : In the 1890s, ethanol (made from grain) was the first fuel used in US automobiles. Prohibition, introduced in 1919, destroyed the many grain distilleries that many farmers used to make their inexpensive ethanol fuels. This led to increased spending on the part of farmers and the switch to oil-based fuels such as gasoline or diesel .
  • Tourism: Cruises on which alcohol could be sold outside the territorial waters (consumption itself was not prohibited) became popular, combined with destinations such as Nassau in the Bahamas or Havana in Cuba .

Todays situation

Alcohol Policy in the United States Today: Dry Countys Semi-dry Countys Wet Countys No data





Since prohibition was repealed by the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution, the regulation of alcohol has been left to the states or individual counties . Depending on how rigorously the sale of alcohol is regulated, a distinction is made between "dry", "semi-dry" and "wet" counties ( dry , semi-dry and wet ).

Alcohol prohibition in the literature

Computer games

Movies

Al Capone

See also

literature

  • Michael Lewis, Richard F. Hamm: Prohibition's Greatest Myths: The Distilled Truth about America's Anti-Alcohol Crusade. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge 2020, ISBN 978-0-8071-7038-0 .
  • John Kobler: Ardent Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition . Putnam, New York 1973.
  • WJ Rorabaugh: The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition . Oxford University Press, 1979.
  • Adolf Hepner : American prohibition and the abstinent socialists . In: Sozialistische Monatshefte 16, 1912, Issue 1, pp. 37–44.
  • Thomas Welskopp: America's great disillusionment. A cultural history of prohibition . Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2010, ISBN 978-3-506-77026-4 .

Web links

Commons : Prohibition in the United States  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bob Skilnik: Beer: A History of Brewing in Chicago . Baracade Books, 2006. See The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov ( Memento of September 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Jo Durden Smith: MAFIA. The true story of organized crime , Premio Verlag GmbH, Münster. Translation by Klaus Helmut, ISBN 978-3-86706-047-9 , p. 64.
  3. ^ Teaching With Documents: The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents. The National Archives, February 14, 2008, accessed October 28, 2009 .
  4. ^ Gert Raeithel: History of North American Culture. 1600 to 2002 . 4th edition, Vol. 2, Frankfurt am Main 2003, p. 77.
  5. ↑ The 18th Amendment in the United States National Archives
  6. ↑ Sigmund Freud : Questions of Society - Origins of Religion. The future of an illusion . Study edition, Vol. 9, 1927, Frankfurt am Main 1974, p. 182.
  7. ↑ Deborah Blum: The Chemist's War: The Little-told Story of How the US Government Poisoned Alcohol During Prohibition with Deadly Consequences . Slate. February 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved on November 7, 2013.
  8. ↑ The 21st Amendment in the United States National Archives
  9. ^ Ric Burns / James Sanders: New York. The illustrated story from 1609 until today . Munich 2002, p. 318.
  10. ↑ John Dickie: Cosa Nostra: The History of the Mafia . Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2006, ISBN 978-3-596-17106-4 , p. 265.
  11. ^ Digitized : FES Library, Bonn 2006.