In January 1920, Prohibition came into effect, outlawing the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol in the United States. The US government fully expected that people would carry on as normal and find new ways to spend their time, but many unintended and unexpected consequences unfolded. Prohibition came to an end in December 1933, following increasing criticism from many platforms of US society.

In hindsight, it’s quite obvious that Prohibition didn’t work, and many scholars and commentators today have suggested that we learn its lessons and perhaps apply them to the much-debated drug laws of modern times.

10 Organized Crime Flourishes

It’s argued that not only did prohibition provide organized crime syndicates with a gap in the market in the 1920s, but it also increased their wealth and influence, which in turn allowed them to continue their ventures in other areas once the ban on alcohol was lifted. Prohibition essentially bankrolled organized crime’s expansion.

Those involved in organized crime were viewed as heroes by many, with some well-known gangsters having an almost celebrity status in their communities. Their frequently bloody crimes were overlooked, as they were providing hardworking people with what they wanted. Some previously law-abiding citizens even began to turn to crime syndicates for work, particularly those whose jobs in industries tied to alcohol production had become redundant. This trend only increased as the Great Depression took hold in the 1930s.

Many illegal bars and saloons were in the hands of criminal syndicates, and almost all were supplied by them. Criminal gangs would often fight among themselves over the “rights” to supply these drinking houses as well as to operate exclusively in certain areas. The results of these clashes were often bloody and resulted in a dramatic increase gang-related murders.

9 Prohibition Criminalized Everyday People

The apparent assumption that the vast majority of people would simply abstain from alcohol once Prohibition was enacted couldn’t have been more wide of the mark. It should be noted that consuming alcohol during prohibition was not illegal, nor was possession of it. The manufacturing, transportation, and sale of alcohol were. This lack of clarity led to several loopholes and gray areas, and they were exploited, unwittingly or not.

There was particular ambiguity regarding making wine at home for one’s own pleasure and enjoyment, for example. The equipment used to do so was widely and openly for sale in stores across the US, and information on how to make homemade wine was available in most public libraries. Technically, however, making wine in your own home was illegal during prohibition.

Pharmacists and religious organizations were also exempt from Prohibition due to alcohol being used as medicine and in ceremonies, respectively. Many pharmacies suddenly sprung up, often no more than a front for their real intentions, while many churches experienced a surge in membership.

Alcohol that had been purchased prior to the start of Prohibition was technically legal and allowed to be stored and consumed in a person’s home. However, carrying that alcohol from one place to another was illegal, and should a person not be able to prove the alcohol was purchased prior to prohibition, they were at risk of arrest.

8 The Rise Of Cocaine And Heroin

Cocaine was taken by people in the United States long before Prohibition came into effect, but it experienced a spike in popularity in the 1920s, particularly among the jazz scene of the time. Whether or not this was due to Prohibition or pure coincidence is unclear.

The US government was at least aware of the possibility that people who would have previously consumed alcohol would now turn their attention to harder drugs and substances. An article that appeared in The Literary Digest in April 1921 stated that the Board of Health of every state was sent a questionnaire to try to establish if there had been a rise in “narcotic and habit-forming drugs” since Prohibition came into effect.

Much like Prohibition contributed to the rise of organized crime, it also assisted in opening the door to the spread of harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin—epidemics that would sweep the US in the coming decades. With their newfound wealth and influence, crime syndicates’ reach went much further, and so did their alliances. Add to this the need to replace their source of income once prohibition was repealed in 1933, and the first steps toward what would become the big business of narcotics trading had been taken.

7 Rise In Alcohol Consumption And Alcoholism

Opinion seems to be split on whether alcohol consumption increased or decreased during the Prohibition years. The main reason for this is that illegal sales of alcohol were not declared to the government, and consequently, no accurate data was kept. Many people were also making their own alcoholic drinks at home, which, again, were not officially declared.

Even the data that is available has to be studied with certain caveats. For example, in 1925, arrests for alcohol-related crimes were at an all-time high. While this did indicate that these kinds of crimes were rising since Prohibition first began in 1920, a lot of the offenses in question were legal before the change in the law. Generally speaking, however, it did appear that problems with alcohol were worse by the mid- to late 1920s than they were the previous decade.

It’s possible that alcoholics would have been hit hardest and suffered in silence for the most part. Alcoholics were less likely to seek help for their addiction during Prohibition largely due to the sale of alcohol being illegal and instead were more likely to turn to bootleggers in the same way that drug addicts will turn to their dealers. Whether Prohibition created more alcoholics, however, is very much up for debate. Data from the time does suggest that deaths from alcohol-related illness did rise throughout the 1920s, but overall, there were less than the previous decade.

6 Long-Lasting Corruption

Part of the reason that organized crime syndicates and bootleggers were so successful in supplying their goods was the fact that they had people in their pocket; they had bribed key people in positions of power and responsibility. Some of those ties made during the 1920s lasted for years after Prohibition ended. The manner in which those ties were achieved has been replicated for generations.

Criminal organizations could have hundreds, even thousands, of people on their books. Policemen, politicians, judges, and even federal agents all played a part in the alcohol black market. There would be advance warnings of planned raids on saloons, and evidence would simply disappear. If cases did make it to court, it wasn’t unheard-of for judges to simply dismiss all the charges and throw the case out.

Corrupt officials were well-paid for their services, some of them making six-figure sums in a year. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps because more and more people began to disagree with prohibition, there was no shortage of people who were willing to turn a blind eye.

5 Unsafe Homemade Alcohol

Although gallons’ worth of authentic alcoholic drinks were successfully smuggled over borders and into the United during the Prohibition years, the cheaper option was to purchase homemade beverages. Whether it was beer, wine, or hard liquor, all were made to varying degrees of success—and seemingly to varying levels of damage to the drinker’s health. Whereas home-brewed beer tended to simply taste foul and have a sludge-like appearance, homemade liquor could very well leave people paralyzed or even dead.

The US government did little to curb fatalities from drinking homemade alcohol, which was often poisonous due to the high amounts of methanol used in the beverages. In 1927, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in charge of Prohibition Seymour M. Lowman stated that “a good job will have been done” if the “fringes” of society died off as a result of drinking “poison hooch.” In 1928, Time magazine highlighted the fact that those in charge of prohibition were turning a blind eye to such deaths when 33 people died over a period of just three days in Manhattan due to consuming homemade alcoholic drinks that contained lethal amounts of methanol.

4 Loss Of Tax Revenue

Not only did the US government lose millions of dollars in tax revenue from alcohol that would otherwise have been sold during Prohibition, but they were also hit a second time as a result of not being able to collect taxes from people no longer employed in jobs connected to alcohol production. On top of that, those people didn’t have any money to spend (and therefore put back into the US economy), and what they did spend was increasingly going to criminal organizations, dealing the US government a third hit in revenue. Also, it was estimated to have cost $40 million to implement and police Prohibition.

By the time the Great Depression hit, Prohibition was increasingly seen as a costly exercise on one hand and a missed opportunity for tax revenue on the other. There was even sentiment that the amount of money lost due to prohibition would have been much better spent on helping those with alcohol addiction instead of criminalizing them.

3 Burden On The Legal System

One of the main reasons that Prohibition ultimately failed was the pressure it placed on law enforcement, the courts, and prisons. By the time it became apparent that people would not simply abstain from alcohol as largely expected, US law enforcement was at its breaking point, the court systems were backing up, and the prisons were getting full.

As 1932 wore on, and the Depression continued to tighten its grip around the financial throat of ordinary Americans, it became clear that ending Prohibition would kill not just two, but several birds with one stone. The court systems would be cleared and money freed for more serious cases, like murder, which itself was up considerably in part due to increased gangland killings over territory rights.

Law enforcement would be freed of having to enforce the increasingly hated Prohibition, and most importantly, thousands of jobs would suddenly be made available both in breweries and once-again legal bars and establishments. Franklin D. Roosevelt made a pledge that he would end Prohibition if he were to be elected president of the United States, which he was in a landslide victory in November 1932. He made good on his promise, and Prohibition was brought to an end in December 1933.

2 Increased Division

Like many polarizing issues, the subject of Prohibition caused quite a division in US society. It wasn’t just those who liked a tipple versus teetotalers, however. As a result of World War I, there was an increasing anti-German sentiment throughout the US, which those in favor of Prohibition used to their advantage, most notably the Anti-Saloon League and various Christian movements. Not only did they state that grain should be used to make food in times of war as opposed to beer, but they insinuated that since many of the brewers were German, they were trying to corrupt and weaken Americans with their alcoholic beverages. Enjoying a drink suddenly became a moral and even a patriotic decision as much as a social one.

The Ku Klux Klan also took advantage of prohibition, stating that they were defenders of Prohibition and the need to enforce it. Although operating outside of the law, they torched many illegal saloons and considered bootleggers to be a section of society that had to be purged from existence. The KKK made toxic claims that the drinking of alcohol and the problems it caused were due to black people as well as Irish and Italian immigrants. Even as support for Prohibition decreased as the 1920s gave way to the 1930s, they continued to use such hard-line rhetoric in an attempt to keep it in place. They also formed political alliances of sorts with many hard-line Christian groups such as the Anti-Saloon League and various women’s Christian organizations.

1 General Distrust Of Authority

A long-lasting and underlying consequence of Prohibition was perhaps a general distrust of those in power—both of those who make decisions and of those who enforce them.

As the 1930s began, it became increasingly obvious to most that Prohibition had not been a good idea, nor had it been a success. Many questioned, albeit retrospectively, why it had been allowed to carry on for so long when many signs of its failure were there for all to see.

The corruption that had surfaced during this time also left a lasting impression on people, as did the question of where power really resided in the country. After all, in many cities across the US, it seemed as if criminal gangs were calling the shots as opposed to law enforcement.

Perhaps as a statement of how much they rejected Prohibition and the ideology behind it, many cities were quick to promote how many drinking establishments they had available. Chicago, a city that was seen as one of the epicenters of organized crime, had over 7,000 such venues.

Marcus Lowth—writer at Me Time For The Mind—http://www.metimeforthemind.com/
Me Time For The Mind on Facebook—https://www.facebook.com/MeTimeForTheMind/

It’s hard to believe, but it happened, and it was less than 100 years ago. In what was perhaps the biggest flop in US legal history, the federal government passed a constitutional amendment in 1920 forbidding the selling of alcohol. Prohibition would stand for nearly 14 long years.

While the whole thing left most people shaking their heads in disbelief, there were some pretty cool consequences of that ill-fated amendment (especially that it ended, but that’s a given).

10 Speakeasies

If there was ever a time and place more ill-suited to Prohibition laws, the cosmopolitan US during the Roaring Twenties might have been it. Women all over the country were experimenting with breaking traditional standards for their sex, jazz music was bursting out of artistic seams, and large numbers of people continued to relocate to the cities. All of this was happening in a time when the government forced people to drink in secret. In short, the speakeasy was born.

By 1925, in New York City (sort of the capital of Prohibition drama) alone, estimates for the number of speakeasies ranged from 30,000 to 100,000. Think plush couches, colorful cocktails served in fancy glasses, live music, enthusiastic dancing, good vibes, and the sexy ambiance that results from bending the rules.

The very cool part is that a handful of these venues still run today and remain fun places to visit and throw back a legal alcoholic beverage.^[1] Besides the bars that have stayed in operation, Prohibition gave way to a style of establishment that night-lifers can be thankful for even today. Funky hidden bars and speakeasies dot cities around the world, from San Francisco to New York City to Melbourne, and make for one great night of class and intrigue.

9 Emergence Of Cocktails

There was a cocktail culture before Prohibition (the first book of cocktail recipes was published in 1869), but we have this silly legislation to thank for mixology really taking off.

Given that a lot of the liquor was distilled using dubious ingredients and under sketchy circumstances, it didn’t always have a flavor that gave way to being served straight or on the rocks. Nevertheless, the people wanted what they wanted, and bartenders nationwide set to work to make whatever came their way nice and palatable. Soon employed were various fermenting techniques (thus the emergence of bathtub gin), mixers, and more.^[2]

Beloved cocktails with Prohibition origins include the Manhattan, martinis, gin Rickeys, the French 75, and champagne cocktails in general. In a delicious irony, Prohibition changed the culture of cocktails for the better, forever.

8 The Booze Cruise

Thank you, Prohibition.

If you’ve never been on a booze cruise (aka party cruise), put it on your must-do list. The name pretty much says it all. You hop on a big, fancy ship, head into the ocean, and party your heart out.

Prior to Prohibition, cruise ships had primarily been used to transport people between Europe and the States. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs put international waters to an even greater use after public consumption was outlawed, and many a fancy flapper took to boats to sip to their heart’s content. Ranging from a few hours to a few days and from distances as small as a circle and as large as a round trip from NYC to Cuba, an entire industry of oceanic partying was formed.^[3]

It’s not so much the fact that such cruises and events still exist as the fact that fiery men and women from the time actually partied on ships that makes this consequence of Prohibition so awesome.

7 FDR Being Super Awesome

So, this happened:

Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned for the presidency partially on the promise that he would get rid of the 18th Amendment if elected. Not only was enforcing the law becoming more and more of a drain on the country’s resources, but as the US sank deeper into the Great Depression, Prohibition started to seem more and more ridiculous to have as a priority.

Roosevelt actually lived up to his promise and started the arduous process of repealing the law shortly after being elected. (A US president can’t just toss out a Constitutional amendment overnight.) FDR quickly signed a bill allowing booze with a low alcohol content to be sold. Afterward, he reportedly said, “What America needs now is a drink.”

FDR supposedly then drank a martini in celebration.^[4] Some claim that he asked for a beer. Either way, it might have been one of the coolest things a US president ever said, and the fact that he actually drank after makes it that much cooler. Cheers, Mr. Roosevelt.

6 Home Brew Beer

Home brewing might be all the rage these days, but it wouldn’t be so widespread if it wasn’t for Prohibition forcing people into their homes to mix the good stuff.

The connection is pretty clear: The 18th Amendment outlawed the public sale and consumption of alcohol but did not technically forbid people from making their own booze. Resourceful people around the country set to work fermenting anything they could get their hands on, and the home brew industry was born. And an industry it was. Malt syrup alone, sold in 500–600 stores nationwide prior to Prohibition, could be found in 25,000 stores by 1928.^[5] Overall, sales for home brewing supplies stood near $136 million by the mid-1920s.

Prior to Prohibition, beer was widely available to men in any number of different establishments. These ranged from the neighborhood saloon, which enticed customers with a free meal to go with their drink, to fancy membership-style parlors for the snobby drinker. Considering how inexpensive and accessible beer had been for men prior to ratification, home brewing would likely not have become mainstream had it not been for people being forced into their homes to source the suds.

5 Thunder Road

Numerous underground organizations, businesses, and entire industries were created in the efforts to “run” booze during the years of Prohibition. In order to literally outrun law enforcement, automobiles were modified, enabling determined drivers to leave pesky cops in the dust and moonshine in the glasses.

We all know how some men are with their cars. Before long, the mechanically inclined were racing each other. Muscle cars and drag racing were born. The cult classic Thunder Road is about the adventures of such characters and is an impressive example of 1950s filmmaking in its own right. The movie is still known for its stunts and special effects, which revolutionized the industry. (It is said that one forgets that the movie is filmed in black and white while watching.) Thunder Road is considered to have started the long succession of muscle car movies, a tradition that continues to this day.^[6]

The film, in turn, inspired the Bruce Springsteen track by the same name, which is one of his most highly acclaimed songs.

4 Jazz Music

Prohibition had a great way of bringing people from all walks of life together in the seedy underground. Before 1920, it was rare to see men and women drinking leisurely together in public. Local saloons, where men drank beer and congregated until all hours of the night, were considered to be the source of many societal problems by the fans of the 18th Amendment. These saloons vanished with the new liquor laws and were replaced by many more speakeasies.

Competition was stiff, and proprietors had to act quickly to keep ahead of other speakeasies. Entertainment was quickly employed as a way to lure people to their establishments, and the sky was the limit. Given that so many social barriers were already being broken in the speakeasies, interracial mingling became more and more acceptable, and jazz music became the entertainment of choice for all the hippest clubs.^[7] (Black musicians were also preferable in the early years, as they attracted less attention to the clubs.)

Jazz music went on to inspire countless musicians, as well as an entirely new way of performing and writing music, and was directly responsible for changing the face of popular culture forever.

3 Wine Bricks

That wine bricks were ever a thing is what makes them super cool. Then again, if you’re a wine lover, you might have preferred wine bricks to be on the list of reasons why Prohibition was super lame, but nevertheless . . .

One of the (arguably) ingenious ways that retailers got around the laws of the 18th Amendment was by exploiting the allowances it gave to religious groups to continue to drink (as prescribed by scripture, of course) as well as the various other technical loopholes that existed in the law.[3] I won’t bore you with an explanation of the loopholes themselves, as even today, trying to both understand and explain them can confuse and frustrate even the most patient of historians. Let’s just say that determined winemakers were able to stay in business because they were allowed to sell grape juice and, apparently, grape powder, as long as it didn’t contain alcohol.

If law-breaking citizens bought said products and fermented the juice in the privacy of their own homes, what could law enforcement do to stop it? For safety’s sake, bricks of grape powder were all labeled with a clear caution against fermenting them, lest wine materialize. How caring.

Yet another industry was created, and wine bricks could be found in every pharmacy in the union. Don’t agree with me that it was a good consequence? Come on, it’s a brick of wine! It’s awesome.

2 Women’s Right To Vote

Yes, the temperance movement led to the success of the next Constitutional amendment, good old #19, which gave women the right to cast a vote.

One of the most powerful forces for the women-weary to be reckoned with, the partnership between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, started in temperance activism. The two women ended up forming a collaboration that would eventually lead to women getting the vote.

Why was temperance effective in bringing early feminists together? For starters, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, domestic violence, abandonment, and neglect by husbands and fathers were all prevalent, particularly in the large cities. Many concerned individuals, especially other wives and mothers, saw drunkenness as the root of these evils. Furthermore, during this time, temperance organizations and events were among the few realms that accepted females as part of their leadership. Before long, the movement was full of suffragists. ^[9]

Luckily, the majority of women within the temperance movement broke off to focus on abolition and women’s rights.

1 Prohibition-Inspired Terminology

Necessity is truly the mother of all invention. The English language has this unfortunate period in history to thank for many a term that we still use today. To name just a few: “white lightning,” “bathtub gin,” “boozehound,” “dry,” “hooch,” “bootlegger,” “moonshine,” “speakeasy,” “hush money,” and “blind pig.” From booze running to partying and everything in between, it was a time of much novelty, and language had to hurry to keep up.

Last, but not least, was “the Real McCoy,” named for boat designer and booze runner William McCoy. McCoy was so well-known and had such an impeccable reputation for transporting the highest-quality alcohol from the Bahamas to New England that those selling his product soon started using his name as evidence that the drinks were genuine.^[10]

Prohibition may not have stopped many people from drinking, but it changed the way many people were speaking and added a huge dash of creativity and innovation. Thanks again, Prohibition.

Janice Formichella is an American-born traveler of the world currently residing in Bali, Indonesia. She loves history, gin, girl talk, her bullet journal, and a good list. You can follow Janice and her adventures on Twitter @JaniceLikes and on Instagram @Janiceonthemove.