Did prohibition work? (1920-33)

Prohibition agents and corruption
1. 67,000 arrests by 1929
2. Isadore Einstein and Moe Smith made about 4,400 arrests
3. In short supply and under financed
4. Public displays of alcohol being seized and destroyed
5. Detroit Police Court shows 7,400 arrests but only 500 convictions
6. 280,000 homemade stills seized
  1. Don't know how many not seized
7. 1/12 agents dismissed for corruption
8. Big breweries stayed in business by bribing officials
Consumption
1. Average alcohol consumption fell by 30% from 1920-30 = 20-->13 gallons
  1. Alcohol consumption was already decreasing and fell more from 1910-15
2. More speakeasies by 1925 than saloons in 1919
3. 60% more distilleries seized and x2 gallons of spirits seized 1921-29
  1. A lot more people were making their own alcohol
4. Isadore Einstein said it took less than 30 min to find a drink in big cities and only 40 seconds in New Orleans
5. Illegal stills sprung up everywhere
Gangs
1. Bootleggers like Al Capone made $60 million/year from speakeasies
2. About 2/3 of illegal alcohol came from Canada
  1. Good at stopping US alcohol
3. Some illegal alcohol came from overseas- Captain McCoy's scotch
Popularity
1. Prohibition only lasted 13 years
2. Very popular in western rural states
  1. Maryland (right next to Washington) never even introduced it

Resource summary

	Created by g-jacqmin almost 9 years ago