In the early 19th century, the movement for prohibiting began as Americans were starting to be concerned about their health and the adverse effects of drinking began to show. Because of this, temperance societies started to form. During the late part of the 19th century, these societies started to become a powerful political force. Once they started gaining popularity, they were calling for liquor abstinence and campaigning on the state level. Several states agreed with the temperance societies, and decided to prohibit the manufacturing or sale of alcohol within their own borders. In December 1917, the 18th Amendment, which prohibited manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, was passed by …show more content…
Bootleggers did this by keeping their stills in basements, apartments, and backwoods across the country. The Coast Guard quickly expanded in order to stop the smuggling of alcohol, which actually happened to turn out to be one of the most effective elements from the federal government during Prohibition. The most common place smuggling happened was from British Columbia, Canada, to Washington State. Because of the 4th Amendment, which states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized,” it made it incredibly hard for the government to search for illegal alcohol because of our rights. The 4th Amendment was dramatically reinterpreted during this