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The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was one of the worlds most influential woman group of the 19th century. They thought that alcohol was destorying their families and they would demand people to shut down their saloons. -
The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” but not the consumption.
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An organization called the "Anti Saloon League" came into effect, the anti-saloon league was a national organization wanting alcohol and saloons to shut down and become illegal. -
By this time the average american from the age 15 and up consumed nearly 7 gallons of pure alcohol a year. Alcoholism was getting too much and people spent most to not all of their money on alcohol and finally they thought it was enough. -
This act occurred right before the 18th Amendment was added. The Volstead Act prohibited the production, sale, transportation, and possession of beverages containing 0.5% or greater. -
The 18th Amendment is applied in the constitution and it said you could not sell alcohol or manufacture it but the consumption of alcohol was legal. -
The 18th amendment goes into effect and people still need their alcohol. So illegal manufacturing and selling alcohol started happening and a lot of crimes started. People still got drunk and the 18th amendment only really started crimes and illegal manufacturing of alcohol. -
The Great Depression was a huge thing and caused many people terrible living conditions and depression which lead to more alcohol consumption and made people even more broke Then also lead to concerns for the 18th amendment to be repealed. -
Once Prohibition was started around 250,000 American people lost their jobs and banks also had no taxation from alcohol which was a major thing. Banks could not pay people and shut down therefor everybody was lead into the great depression. -
During the great depression there were many people getting rich off of illegal manufacturing and selling of alcohol, a lot of bootlegging and violence was happening and everybody was able to acquire alcohol because it was such a huge thing. Anti-Prohibition activists had people and themselves argue that people need their jobs and tax revenue that legal alcohol would provide. -
The 21st admendment is added and the 18th amendment is repealed. Alcohol was now legal again .