Prohibition
Prohibition was a period of U.S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal. It led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed.
After the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise.To Stop this , a number of societieswere organized as part of a new Temperance movement which attempted to persuade people from becoming intoxicated. At first, these organizations pushed moderation, but after several decades, the movement's focus changed to complete prohibition of alcohol consumption.Even though the sale of alcohol was illegal, alcoholic drinks were still widely available at "speakeasies" and other underground drinking establishments. Many people also kept private bars to serve their guests. Large amount of alcohol were snuck in from Canada, overland through the Great Lakes.
Legal and illegal home brewing was popular during Prohibition. Limited amounts of wine and hard cider were permitted to be made at home. Some commercial wine was still produced in the U.S., but was only available through government warehouses for use in religious ceremonies, mainly for communion. "Malt and hop" stores popped up across the country and some former breweries turned to selling malt extract syrup, only for baking and "beverage" purposes. The American grape growing industry was largely situated in California where there were about 700 bonded wineries producing table wines. Initially, prohibition forced the closure of most of the wineries when growers pulled up their vines thinking their market had evaporated. This created a big shortage of grapes forcing the the price per ton to rise 1000% and more from $20 to over $200.Growers realizing their mistake replanted vineyards but in their greed planted much greater than previously. The increased supply forced the price per ton down to $15 by the end of prohibition.
The high price of bootleg liquor meant that the nation's working class and poor were far more restricted during Prohibition than middle or upper class Americans. Even as costs for law enforcement, jails and prisons spiraled upward, support for Prohibition was waning by the end of the 1920s. Nativist forces had gained more control over the temperance movement, its more moderate members.
Rosenburg, Jennifer. "Prohibition." About.com 20th Century History. ©2013 About.com. All Rights Reserved., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
"1920s Prohibition." 1920's Prohibition. © Copyright 2012 1920-30.com, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
"Prohibition." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
After the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise.To Stop this , a number of societieswere organized as part of a new Temperance movement which attempted to persuade people from becoming intoxicated. At first, these organizations pushed moderation, but after several decades, the movement's focus changed to complete prohibition of alcohol consumption.Even though the sale of alcohol was illegal, alcoholic drinks were still widely available at "speakeasies" and other underground drinking establishments. Many people also kept private bars to serve their guests. Large amount of alcohol were snuck in from Canada, overland through the Great Lakes.
Legal and illegal home brewing was popular during Prohibition. Limited amounts of wine and hard cider were permitted to be made at home. Some commercial wine was still produced in the U.S., but was only available through government warehouses for use in religious ceremonies, mainly for communion. "Malt and hop" stores popped up across the country and some former breweries turned to selling malt extract syrup, only for baking and "beverage" purposes. The American grape growing industry was largely situated in California where there were about 700 bonded wineries producing table wines. Initially, prohibition forced the closure of most of the wineries when growers pulled up their vines thinking their market had evaporated. This created a big shortage of grapes forcing the the price per ton to rise 1000% and more from $20 to over $200.Growers realizing their mistake replanted vineyards but in their greed planted much greater than previously. The increased supply forced the price per ton down to $15 by the end of prohibition.
The high price of bootleg liquor meant that the nation's working class and poor were far more restricted during Prohibition than middle or upper class Americans. Even as costs for law enforcement, jails and prisons spiraled upward, support for Prohibition was waning by the end of the 1920s. Nativist forces had gained more control over the temperance movement, its more moderate members.
Rosenburg, Jennifer. "Prohibition." About.com 20th Century History. ©2013 About.com. All Rights Reserved., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
"1920s Prohibition." 1920's Prohibition. © Copyright 2012 1920-30.com, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
"Prohibition." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
