Prohibition: A Photographic History of Prohibition In The United States

9. Nationwide

As prohibition went on through the 1920s, speakeasies spread across the country.

They stretched from coast to coast, from New York to Chicago to San Francisco. They weren’t only limited to the big cities, however, as most towns had at least one.

10. Membership Cards

Many speakeasies networked together to ensure that they kept a loyal and trustworthy clientele.

For example, in New York, notable establishments would give out membership cards. Said memberships would allow patrons access to other affiliated clubs and speakeasies.

11. The Government Strikes Back

While there was still a lot of alcohol consumed throughout the prohibition years, that doesn’t mean that the government didn’t at least try to enforce the law.

Both local police and state forces — such as the then-relatively new Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — actively hunted bootleggers and broke up speakeasies.

However, the general apathy towards prohibition, corruption in law enforcement, and the large size and varied geography of the country made enforcement difficult.

12. The Untouchables

While law enforcement’s efforts were somewhat scattershot, there was one group of government agents who worked their way into American history: Elliot Ness and his Untouchables.

Put together in 1929 to specifically target Al Capone, Ness assembled the group of agents by purposely choosing agents who could not be swayed by bribes and organized crime. The group’s exploits eventually did help take down Capone. In later years — thanks to Ness’ autobiography — the group became even more famous, being documented in several films and television series.

13. Anti-Prohibition Backlash

As prohibition went on, public support for it — never universal — began to break down further, especially after the Great Depression hit.

In addition to public backlash, many in government began to push for repeal as the potential taxes to be made off of alcohol would be immensely helpful during the Depression.

14. Repeal!

The repeal of prohibition unofficially began in March of 1933, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an amendment to the Volstead Act that altered the law and allowed the manufacture and sale of beer that was 3.2 percent alcohol by weight (approximately 4 percent alcohol by volume and light wines).

Upon signing the so-called Cullen-Harrison Act, Roosevelt famously remarked: “I think this would be a good time for a beer.”

In December of 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed through ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, officially ending prohibition in the United States.

15. Legacy

Though it’s over 85 years since it was repealed, the prohibition remains an iconic time in the American cultural consciousness.

Films are still made about organized crime figures like Al Capone and “G-Men” like Elliot Ness. Even speakeasies have made a comeback as “secret” and exclusive bars.

Credits: standardnews

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