Stubner 1

Robin Stubner
Mr. Thomas
2A
22 January 2015
DBQ: Prohibition
Did America make the right choice of repealing the 18th amendment? “On December
17, 1917, the House of Representatives voted 282 to 128 to approve the 18th amendment and prohibit the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United
States” (Background essay). Back in 1920­1933 America was going through Prohibition. Most men were drunk at most times. You were able to drink a beer or hard liquor on your break time at work. Many people were drinking all over from adsense to elders. People took it out of control and started taking abuse on it and made serious problems like corruption, child abuse, crime, unemployment, and worker safety. Men weren’t able to provide for their family. This was around the time when divorce wasn’t around and women couldn’t leave the men because of their addiction. On their job, it would be slow down because they were too drunk to be able to put the right parts on the car. For the fact that, alcohol was going out of control, the house of representatives started to vote to pass the 18th amendment. The 18th amendment was to prohibit alcoholic beverages in the United States. In the early 1920’s the 18Th amendment went into effect, the country was dry, meaning everyone was sober. America repealed the
18th amendment for many reasons, such as depression started, homicide rates increasing, and unfair congressmen.
When prohibition was passed many people wanted alcohol back and were going to do whatever they had to, to get a taste of beer or whiskey. By them doing this made america change there mind about prohibition. The men that were trying to do this were gangsters,

Stubner 2

racketeer, bootleggers, and the dope sellers. These were all the types of drunks. All types of guys were known as something, meaning the gangsters were know as a mobster, and a racketeer was a person who was often involved in exchanging money. The prohibition was the big problem the guy that was making all these guys go negative. Another drunk was known as a bootlegger, who would sell and travel illegal alcohol over the United States. The last guy was the dope dealer who was selling the illegal alcohol. The men were in a depression meaning they were breaking the law. This document explains prohibition by showing actions, that drunks took to get what they wanted. The moves that these men took were a reason why america changed there mind on the Prohibition Law.(DOCUMENT A)
Throughout 1900­1953 there were more homicides with prohibition then there was when World War 1 and World War 2 was going on. In 1919 there were 6 homicides per
100,000 rate of Americans. It raised up to 9/9 in a half homicides per 1100,00 Americans in
1933. About 7 years later it went back down to 6 homicides. The chart in document B shows that prohibition caused more murders possible.America saw that Prohibition was about more murders than World War 1 and World War 2. This was serious, there was many people dying because of it. getting sick and many who were willing to do whatever to get a sip of an alcoholic beverage.(DOCUMENT B)
America changed its mind about prohibition because it wasn’t making any sense that congressman and senators would