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WCTU was Founded
The 18th Amendment started in 1874 with the Woman's Christan Temperance Union. The Union was born in Ohio with a small group of people and quickly spread. It was an important group that bound women together in the fight against alcohol abuse. At a time when women did not stand for a lot in our country, the WCTU is a symbol of power in our history. It shows women taking what they feel they deserve and using the rights given to them in the Constitution. -
Anti-Saloon League was Founded
Another group that fueled the fire of the 18th Amendment was the Anti-Saloon League. The league started in 1893 in Ohio as a statewide organization and quickly began to branch out. The group focused on one main thing, the passing of prohibition. This league worked with many organizations around the United States, including churches and the WCTU to fight the use of alcohol. Their main goal was to pass a law prohibiting the use of alcohol. -
Temperance March in DC
On December 10, 1913, it was recorded that 4,000 people marched through the streets of Washington DC, many being a part of the Anti-Saloon League. The people marching sang songs until they made it to their final destination, the capital. There Purley Baker handed a copy of the preposition of the 18th amendment to Congressman Richard Hobson and Senator Morris Sheppard. The men then took the proposition to their legislatures to discuss further. This process took 4 years. -
The 18th Amendment
Congress passed the 18th amendment in 1917 and finally went into effect in 1920. From that moment, the use and distribution of alcohol were considered illegal in the United States. This was a win for the WCTU, the Anti-Saloon League, and other small temperance organizations across the United States. From the beginning of the amendment, security forces had their hands full trying to keep the use of alcohol to a minimum. -
Peak of Bootlegging
Bootlegging was most popular in the year 1926 but it lasted from 1920 to 1933 when the 18th amendment was repealed. Bootlegging is the act of illegally selling or transporting alcohol. When the 18th Amendment was passed a lot of people did not agree with it, so there were many people that went behind the government’s back to drink and sell it. Sellers illegally imported alcohol from neighboring countries to sell in the United States. -
The Purple Gang
The Purple Gang was a large and popular gang in Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s. They came into power by controlling bootlegging groups. In September 1931, three men planned to meet with the leader to get out of the gang. They were shot on site in cold blood by the gang leader. The gang would have gotten away with the murder, but the police caught the man who unwillingly transported the three men. The driver ended up testifying against the gang putting the men involved with the murders in jail. -
Gang Violence on the Rise (Al Capone)
From the beginning of prohibition, the streets of cities were gradually getting more and more dangerous. A powerful gangster was coming into power, Al Capone. Al Capone rivaled The Purple Gang making for more conflict. The laws that were put in place were difficult to enforce and were creating a higher percentage of gang violence in the cities of our country. The streets were unsafe. This remained until the repeal of the 18th Amendment. -
St. Valentine's Day Massacre
On the day we know as Valentine’s Day in the year 1929 a massacre known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre took place. Seven men were shot dead in a parking garage in Chicago. The men were a part of an Irish gang that rivaled Al Capone. The massacre remains a mystery today as no information was linked to Al Capone. Although, there are conspiracies about how the mobster would have accomplished killing those men. This goes to show how dangerous city streets were becoming. -
Stock Market Crash
The United States stock market crashed on October 24, 1929. On the day of the crash, “Black Thursday,” it was recorded that 12.9 million shares were pulled. This was a traumatic moment in our country's history. It affected the balance of supply and demand. The stock market crash also made many people lose their jobs and fall into debt. This was the final straw for the end of the 18th Amendment. -
21st Amendment
The 18th Amendment was officially repealed on December 5, 1933. The passing of the 21st Amendment made it so that prohibition was controlled at a state level and was no longer the federal government's problem. It also repealed the 18th Amendment. This was an easy decision due to the heat of the Great Depression and all the violence that was occurring on the streets at the time.