Why did Americans want to repeal the 18th

Amendment? (H.4.MC.)

Explain why people supported the 21st Amendment, which would repeal Prohibition. Use the
documents (A-F) to explain and support your ideas.

Americans supported the 21st amendment for many reasons. The first is during
prohibition the homicide rates were at an all time high. In a chart published by the U.S
Bureau of the Census, homicide rates were the highest between 1920 and 1933, during
prohibition. Nobody likes it that there are tons murders and gang violence. If these
terrible things can stop by repealing prohibition, many people would be in favor of the
21st amendment. Another reason Americans supported the 21st amendment is the 18th
amendment didnt stop people from drinking alcohol. It just caused them to buy it for
less illegally, so they could drink more of it. A letter from Mrs. Hillyer to the Bureau of
Prohibition dated 9/22/1931 states, My husband is in the habit of buying a quart of
whiskey every other day from a Chinese bootlegger named Chin Waugh living at
317-16th near Alder street. We need this money for household expenses. Her husband
can drink more alcohol because he can buy as much as he wants for less, from an
illegal bootlegger, when they need the money to run the house. Many Americans bought
and sold alcohol during prohibition. A painting called Bootleggers by Ben Shahn in
1934 shows three ways people hid alcohol. Americans just thought it was stupid to have
this amendment prohibiting alcohol if everyone just drank it anyways. The final reason
Americans supported getting rid of prohibition is, if alcohol could be sold legally, it could
be taxed and the government would get more money to use to help improve America.
Lestle Gordon wrote in 1932, If liquor now sold by bootleggers was legally sold,
regulated, and taxed, the (tax) income would pay the interest on the entire local and
national (debt) and leave more than $200,000,000 for.. urgently needed purposes. This
shows that the tax income on alcohol is a lot, and if people buy alcohol anyways,
Americans wondered, why not make it legal so it can be taxed. All in all, tons of people
supported the 21st amendment because it would lower homicide rates, let average
citizens stop committing crimes by selling alcohol illegally, and alcohol would be taxed
which would give the government more money to spend of current issues.