Canadian History
Canada During the 1920s
Prohibition
The 1920s are often viewed as a decade of contrasts and conflict.
Freedoms in dress, behavior, and sexual attitudes came up against a new
Puritanism. The automobile was replacing the old horse and buggy.
There were conflicts between the traditional small-town way of life and
a new urbanism and cosmopolitanism. In the 1920s, some saw life
as a glorious opportunity for hard living, songs such as "Hot Lips"
and "I Need Lovin'" and movies called "Up in Mabel's Room" and
"Her Purchase Price” became very popular. On the other hand,
religious fundamentalism underwent a rebirth, as people tried to latch
onto the
traditional moral standards--either real or imagined--of bygone years.
Overall, this time period can
be characterized by the decline of “traditional values”. Even as the power of the “old ways” was on the wane,
one of its final attempts at holding onto control was the passage of national Prohibition.
Prohibition in America
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution--passed by Congress in 1917, and ratified by 3/4 of states by 1919-prohibited the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages within the boundaries of the United States.
The Volstead Act of 1919, also known as the National Prohibition Enforcement Act, gave the Eighteenth
Amendment some teeth. It clearly defined an alcoholic beverage as one with an alcoholic content greater than
0.5 percent.
The 21st Amendment, which was passed in 1933, repealed the 18th Amendment. In order to get around the
traditional process of ratification by the state legislatures--many of which were expected to vote "dry"--Congress
instead called for ratifying conventions in each state. At the completion of delegates' voting, the national count in
favor of repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment was 73%.
Prohibition in Canada
(use the scrapbook to help you answer these questions)
How was Prohibition in Canada different than in the United States?
Describe Prohibition’s effect on Canada.
What was rum alley?
What elaborate techniques did smugglers use?
Explain the following: “You can’t keep liquor from pouring through a dotted line” (this quote was attributed to a
United States custom’s officer).