Daniel Kane 1/14/13 B3

The effects of prohibition

Prohibition in the 1920s was an act to end the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. The protests against alcohol started with rural protestants and the antisaloon league. The anti-saloon league was made up mostly of religions such as Methodists, Disciples of Christ, Baptists, and Congregationalists. The main argument made by the antisaloon league was that drunk voters would cause the country problems. The efforts of the antisaloon league and other protesters resulted in the eighteenth amendment to the constitution and the Volstead act. The Volstead act was passed on October 18 1919 and prohibited alcohol except for religious and medical purposes. Anti prohibitionists were a big problem in passing the act. Anti prohibitionists felt that the government was taking away their freedom entitled to them as American citizens, this led to organized crime and an increase in homemade alcoholic beverages which were often times more dangerous than commercial beverages. The problem of anti prohibitionists eventually led to the abolishment of the prohibition act. The eighteenth amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States however it did not prohibit making moonshine or Bootleg a popular choice. Prohibition quickly lost supporters and was discontinued in 1933.