Prohibition and Crime in the 1920s essays

Prohibition and Crime in the 1920s essays "Section 1. 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" (Eighteenth Amendment). On January 16, 1920, this amendment to the Constitution of the United States came into effect and pronounced a ban on all alcoholic beverages changing the lifestyles of many people in the United States for the next 13 years. This law aimed to achieve nationwide abstinence towards alcohol consumption, which in turn would supposedly reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and thus end up improving both the economy and the quality of life for all Americans. "National prohibition of alcohol the 'noble experiment' was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve h ealth and hygiene in America" (Thorton, 1). This short-lived 'noble experiment' caused more problems for the United States than it attempted to solve. People of all income ranges found themselves being denied the substance that brought temporary relief from one's problems and quenched others' thirsts. Crime rates skyrocketed to unseen levels in the 1920s. In addition, alcohol consumption even increased for a short period in the United States during the Prohibition. The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution, also known as Prohibition, was largely responsible for the increase in crime during the 1920s especially through the introduction of speakeasies, bootleggers, and increased organized crime activity. Speakeasies were popular joints to obtain "booze" during "the Roaring Twenties" (Boorstin et al.). Masses of law-abiding citizens began taking a ride on the illegal side by visiting these underground beer havens. The new age o...