Was prohibition a failure?
Learning objective – to understand the
reasons why prohibition failed.
I can describe the
different reasons why
prohibition failed.
Grade D
I can explain and make
links between the
different reasons why
prohibition failed.
Grade B
I can explain the links
between
and
the
importance of the reasons
why prohibition failed.
Grade A and A*.
Starter – US President, Warren Harding
used to hold drinking parties in the Oval
Office during prohibition. True or false?
Starter – US President, Warren Harding
used to hold drinking parties in the Oval
Office during prohibition. True
Key words
 Bootlegging – the
illegal trade in booze.
 Bootleggers – those
involved in supplying
illegal booze.
 Speakeasies – Illegal
drinking rooms.
Why did many people ignore
prohibition?
 Many Americans from the
beginning ignored the prohibition
laws.
 Across America, thousands of
speakeasies were opened which did
a roaring trade. There were 100,000
speakeasies in New York alone in
1925.
 Throughout the 1920’s, prohibition
became the most ignored law in US
history.
 What made matters worse was the
fact that President Harding was
known to drink alcohol regularly in
the White House.
Why was prohibition difficult to
enforce?
 When alcohol producers and speakeasies were shut down, it
was very easy to find alternative supplies.
 Canada and Mexico still produced alcohol and it was easy to
smuggle booze across the 4,500 mile borders the US had with
the two countries.
 It was easy to obtain the ingredients to make alcoholic drinks.
Many Americans created their own ‘bath tub breweries’.
 The Treasury Department was responsible for enforcing
prohibition, but they had too few agents who were poorly
paid. Therefore, the agents were easy to bribe.
What was prohibition’s impact upon
organised crime?
 Illegal booze became a multi-million
business in the 1920’s and attracted
organised crime groups, such as the
Mafia.
 The centre of the illegal booze trade
was Chicago, as it was close to Canada
and had excellent transport links to
the rest of America.
 Rival gangs fought each other for
control of the bootlegging industry.
 Many were shocked at the violence
which control of bootlegging caused.
Most notoriously in 1929 in the St.
Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Why was Al Capone famous?
 He was the most famous gangster in the
1920’s and dominated the bootlegging
industry with the use of bribery and
intimidation.
 He kept a high profile with his sharp
suits, high profile company of celebrities
and politicians and supporting charities.
 Capone described himself as a
businessman who supplied the public
with what they wanted and his business
was worth $27 million.
 Widely believed to have been behind
the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of his
rival gang lead by Bugsy Moran.
 Eventually imprisoned in 1931 on tax
evasion charges.
Why did Prohibition end?
 The issue of prohibition split the Democrat Party from 1928.
 Many women changed their minds about prohibition and began to
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campaign to end it. Many now believed that prohibition had increased
rather then reduced domestic violence.
The Wickersham Commission of 1929 supported prohibition but argued
that it was impossible to enforce.
Many argued that ending national prohibition would, in the Depression,
create jobs.
When Roosevelt became President in 1932, he passed the Beer Act [1933]
which raised alcohol limits stated in the Volstead Act.
This was followed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment to the Constitution
which allowed for individual states to choose whether they wanted
prohibition or not.
Task
This word cloud summarises
the content of today’s lesson.
Write down all the words in
the word cloud and write
definitions/descriptions for
each one. There are 13
words.
Extension task
Write an answer to the exam
question
–
Why
did
prohibition fail?
Plenary
These collection of images all
related to why prohibition
failed. Can you identify who
or what is in the pictures and
write how each picture
related to the central
question of why prohibition
failed.