Prohibition

7 Pages 1810 Words

Causes and Effects Of the Prohibition
Since at least the turn of the century, reformers had been denouncing alcohol as a danger to society as well as to the human body. The true feeling behind this thought was that the use of alcohol was due to the influence of the city. The first American colonists started out with the belief that city life was wicked and evil, whereas country and village life were good (Sinclair 10). Later, during the war, the idea of prohibition was a way of keeping the country patriotic, and thus strong. A common phrase was “A drunk worker is not a productive worker” (McDonnel 394). Throughout history, there were many reasons to push a Prohibition amendment; however, though many of the causes for Prohibition were honorable, most of the effects did more harm for America than good. The first section of the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “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.” What this meant was, it was illegal to make, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost fourteen years, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed in December of 1933, when the Twenty-First Amendment was ratified under Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this short time, America underwent a great transformation due to the new law. There were many causes for the Prohibition movement. One main cause was religious revivalism. Prohibition was a result of the Protestant communities action to assert its dominant position in the nation’s culture. They believed that once this was achieved, the whole nation would be under the sway of Protestant moral values. Social reform was another reason Prohibition was supported. “Prohibition was an at...