Prohibition
Definition
Prohibition was a constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933.
Analogy
Think of prohibition like your parents grounding you from video games. You can't play them, buy new ones, or even download updates. But just like some kids might find ways around their punishment (like playing at a friend's house), many people during Prohibition found illegal ways to produce and consume alcohol.
Related terms
Volstead Act: This was the law passed by Congress that provided for the enforcement of Prohibition.
Speakeasies: These were secret bars where people could gather to drink alcohol during Prohibition.
Bootlegging: This refers to the illegal production and distribution of alcohol during Prohibition.
"Prohibition" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (11)
- How did Prohibition echo earlier Puritan views on morality within society?
- How did Prohibition impact American society during the Roaring Twenties?
- What was a significant result of Prohibition in America during the 1920s?
- Which legislation during the Gilded Age led to the prohibition of certain restrictive trade agreements?
- Which amendment implemented Prohibition - banning alcohol sale, production, and transportation – across U.S.A during this period?
- In what way did prohibition contribute to an increase in organized crime during the 1920s?
- What could be a potential outcome if the Prohibition was not enforced in the United States in the 1920s?
- What was the primary effect of Prohibition in America during the Roaring Twenties?
- What was a predominant conflict that resulted from prohibition in the 1920s?
- Why did Prohibition lead to an increase in organized crime during the early twentieth century?
- What can be seen as a consequence of Prohibition enacted through the Eighteenth Amendment?
Resources
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