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Trevor Paul

Mr. Williams

Honors US History

26 November 2019

Why Has America Changed Its Mind?

Earlier this year marked the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 18th amendment to

the United States constitution. This was a major amendment that made the sale, manufacture, and

transport of alcohol completely illegal. This amendment made a major impact on the United

States’ crime and economy. Even though it was backed by a majority of the population whenever

it was passed in 1919, it would be repealed only a few years later by the 21st amendment.

Americans changed their mind, they changed their mind because of significant crime and murder

increase during the prohibition era, because of the mockery that was made of it as many people

were able to get their hands on it regardless of the law, and because of the unseen, significant

loss of tax revenue from alcohol that could have fueled the great depression in the later years of

prohibition.

One of the first reasons that many in America sought to repeal prohibition has because of

the significant increase in crime in America during the prohibition era. Document B describes

this increase in crime as it shows how the homicide rates in the United States were at their

highest during the prohibition era. This increase in homicides means that crime rates were higher

during this time as often homicides coincide with crime. The graph also in Document B also

shows how homicides and violent crime decreased as soon as prohibition was repealed in 1933.
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It was because of this crime that many Americans sought out the repeal of the 18th Amendment

and prohibition altogether.

The next reason that so many Americans wanted the repeal of prohibition was seen in

many political cartoons during the time. Many cartoons feature many different kinds of

American outlaws dancing over the depression along with prohibition. These cartoons and many

like them show and make an example of how prohibition is making a mockery out of America

and worsening the depression. One of these political cartoons can be seen in Document A which

shows a gangster, a racketeer, a bootlegger, and dope seller dancing over the depression with

Prohibition in the middle of them all. This cartoon shows how during the time of the depression,

the only people being helped by prohibition were the outlaws that defied it in order to make lots

of money off of the American people. It was because of this that many more Americans wanted

to repeal prohibition during this time, it was possible to worsen the depression and helping

criminals.

The final reason also has much to do with the depression of the 1930s in America. During

the prohibition period in America, many Americans were out of work as the economic situation

was dire. Because of this dire situation, many Americans blamed the government as they didn’t

have any money to bail out the banks and therefore needed tax money. This is the final reason, as

stated in Document E. Because of the outlawing of alcohol, all of the tax money that the

government was collecting from its sale and manufacture, had vanished. Because of this, the

government was missing over $200,000,000 in tax money. This may have been one of the main

reasons the great depression was triggered in 1929. Because of this depression, many Americans
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wanted the government to help, but they didn’t have money and the tax from alcohol could fix

that, causing many people to want the retraction of prohibition.

On February 20, 1933, congress passed the 21st amendment to the United States

constitution. This officially repealed the 18th amendment and with it, prohibition altogether. So

why did the Americans people and government change their minds altogether? America changed

its mind because of the culmination of many different things at once. Those being, unseen

economic issues, unseen high crime, and it causing a mockery of the United States during the

depression. It is because of all of these reasons that the United States people and government

collectively decided to repeal the 18th amendment to the constitution and with it, prohibition.