The 18th Amendment: The Failure Of The Prohibition

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The 18th Amendment, The Volstead Act also known as The Prohibition. Back in the 1920s the United States tried to ban alcohol. This was a time of parties and change, it didn't change anything for the better, but in fact for the worse, the law was barely even followed. Hoping to help America for the better by stopping the crime rates, and help the taxes. It ended up doing quite the opposite and ultimately failed causing the US to dig themselves a bigger hole. Thus, making the Prohibition a failure due to the economy deterioration during the era, speakeasies was created for people to drink while bootleggers sold the alcohol, and crime and violence was increased during the time.
The 18th amendment, banning the sale, manufacture, and trade of alcohol. …show more content…
Federal convicts has increased more than 561 present. From 1914 there was 4000 federal convicts by 1932 there was 26,589 convicts mainly from violations of the laws the prohibition had in effect. Witch caused the prisons and jails to over crowd. From 1925 to 1930 alone there was more than a 1000 percentage increase. Many of the prisoners was released in 1930. This caused a debt in taxes because there was more money needed to keep prisoners in the jails. The homicide rates jumped during the time of the prohibition. There was a formation of many new street gangs, and a increase of members in the Mafia. Many bootleggers would fight for the biggest business in the empire. One famous bootlegger was Al Capone, who became multi millionaire during the prohibition, by bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. His reign was corresponding with brutal violence acts, with other bootleggers. One of the most famous act was the Valentine's Day Massacre, where he had his men kill at least seven rivals. He never went to jail for the crimes, but merely agreed to stop the violence, a agreement that barely lasted more than 3 months. They couldn't find the evidence needed for his crimes to jail him for murder. Even though they had the assumptions that it was him. He ended up in jail for tax evasion, convicted of eleven years. His health eventually deteriorate and he ended up dying in a mental hospital. Another famous bootlegger was Lucky Luciano. Who became apart of the organized crime. His real name was Charles, he got the nickname Lucky after surviving a attack on from a group of men, where he was stabbed, beaten and left for dead. He had speculations it was his own boss because Lucky supported his bossed rivels. This, caused a turf war between the two rivals. He moved on from his boss and on to the rival. Where he ordered a hit on his old boss. The violence lasted for a while, until Lucky's hit was
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