Prohibition and
Bootlegging In Canada in
the 1920’s
Prohibition
• The Temperance Movement arose in the early 20th century
and it was a collection of women and religious groups.
• These groups pressured the government to ban the
production, consumption, distribution, and sale of liquors
(including wine and beer).
• They believed that it was immoral and evil to drink alcohol,
especially during the war (the grain used to make alcohol,
could be used to feed the troops overseas)
• These groups spread across the country with the
government searching out and stopping the Rum Runners.
• By 1917, all provinces (except Quebec) adopted prohibition.
Prohibition
The Pros
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Crime rate dropped
Child and wife abuse decreased
Workers no longer spent their paycheques at the bar
Higher productivity in the workplace
Prohibition
The Cons
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Gangsters made a fortune smuggling liquor
Provincial governments lost millions of dollars in potential taxes on alcohol
Enforcement was extremely difficult – people could easily acquire alcohol
People could consume alcohol for ‘medical’ purposes with a prescription
Prohibition laws were largely ignored by the middle class
Prohibition
Prohibition terms
• Speakeasies and blind pigs – secret and private clubs that served alcohol
• Bootleggers – people who made home-made alcohol for sale and
consumption
• Rum Runners – Canadians who smuggled alcohol across the border to the
US. (eg., Hiram Walker – Canadian Club Whisky)
• Rum Alley – Windsor / Detroit area
• Moonshine – illegal liquor
Scar
Face