1. Progressivism & Social Changes
**Prohibition

2. What was prohibited by “Prohibition” in the U.S.?
Alcohol consumption
Chinese Immigration
Women voting
Child labor
NOTICE! Prohibition ≠ prohibition

3. Poll
Before you started studying this chapter, did you know that the U.S. had once banned alcohol?
Yes.
No!

4. Question
Alcohol was prohibited in the U.S. during most of the Progressive Era.
True
False

5. Questions I will answer in today’s lecture:
How, when & why was alcohol prohibited in America?
Why was Prohibition repealed (cancelled) later?
What was life like in America during the Prohibition Era?

6. Social Change Movements (Progressivism)
Women were especially vocal about moral issues:
Suffrage (equal voting rights for women)
Social Work (helping the poor)
Temperance (Not drinking alcohol)

7. II. The Temperance Movement (1850s – 1919)

8. Problems with Alcohol 1 - Too many saloons (1 per 150 people)
Saloons couldn’t make $$$
Added gambling
Added prostitution

10. Problems with Alcohol 2 - Social workers saw family problems
Men wasting money at saloons
Violence toward wives / children

11. Problems with Alcohol 3 - Alcohol-related disease
Alcoholism (addiction)
Liver Damage
Early Death

12. Temperance Campaign (1850 – 1920)
1. Temperance Beliefs:
Alcohol = Evil
Even 1 drink  addiction!
All problems caused by alcohol (unemployment, poverty, crime, immorality, violence, disease, inequality of women)
2. Solution: Make America “dry”

13. Temperance Campaign 3. Also an Anti-Immigrant campaign Irish (whiskey)
“Cultures of drink”
Irish (whiskey)
Germans (beer)
Italians (wine)
Russians (vodka)

14. 4. The role of women in the Temperance Movement
Vocal & politically active

15. The role of women in the Temperance Movement
Vocal & politically active

16. The role of women in the Temperance Movement
Vocal & politically active
Won men’s support for equal voting rights
1920 – 19th Amendment = universal suffrage

17. III. Anti-Alcohol Legislation

18. Anti-Alcohol Legislation
1850s – Many local laws
The Volstead Act (national law)
Prohibited the production, sale, & transport of alcohol for drinking
th Amendment to the Constitution (a.k.a “Prohibition”- effective as of 1920)

19. Progressive Era ≠ Prohibition Era
NOTE!
Progressive Era ≠ Prohibition Era

20. IV. Prohibition Era in America (1920-1933)

21. Alcohol Vocabulary Liquor = alcohol Booze (slang) = alcohol
To go on a bender = (slang) to drink a lot
A speakeasy = a secret, illegal club or bar that served alcohol during Prohibition

22. Bootleg (adj) / Bootlegger (n. person)
Original meaning
Prohibition Era
Today

23. Documentary – Homework Check

24. Comprehension Questions
Who made a lot of money during Prohibition?
The U.S. Government
The Police
Organized criminal gangs
Temperance leaders

25. Comprehension Questions
According to the video, drinking ____________ during the Prohibition Era.
increased
stayed the same
decreased

26. Documentary – Images of Prohibition What did you see in the video?

27. V. The Repeal of Prohibition

28. Why was Prohibition repealed in 1933?
1. Crime soared
Bootleggers and gangsters made a fortune.
Al Capone Most powerful gangster in Chicago

29. Why was Prohibition repealed in 1933?
2. Drinking actually increased
Glamorous speakeasies (for women too!)
Maybe!

30. Increase in Drinking is Disputed!
Source: U.S. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual       (Vol. 1, Rockville, Md. : U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1985):
Accessed at:

31. Why was Prohibition repealed in 1933?
3. Alcohol-related deaths increased
Homemade alcohol was dangerous.

32. Why was Prohibition repealed in 1933?
4. Public Pressure

33. Why was Prohibition repealed in 1933?
5. Enforcement took too much time and $
Lawyers
Police

34. What was happening in America in 1933?
The Great Depression
Very weak economy
High unemployment
Repeal of Prohibition =
Gov’t could collect liquor taxes
Jobs!

35. VI. Drinking in America Today

36. What is the legal drinking age in the U.S. today?16 18 20 21
No limit

37. What is the legal drinking age in your country?
None. Anyone can drink legally. 18 19 20
None. It is illegal to drink alcohol.