Saturday, May 23, 2020

Americas Reaction to the Eighteenth Ammendment - 779 Words

In 1917 was the point in history where Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment to amend the Constitution which stated that it prohibited the export, import, manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. This law sparked rebellion in American citizens across the nation; many people thought this law violated their right to live by their own standards. The implementation of the 18th amendment created a large number of bootleggers who were able to supply the public with illegal alcohol. Many of these bootleggers became very rich and influential through selling alcohol, gambling and using other methods. The prohibition era allowed for organized crime to flourish and these practices are still used today.†¦show more content†¦Even though the 18th amendment was implemented there was very little enforcement of the law. The government employed few prohibition agents; the majority of them could be easily bribed by the bootlegger and policemen were as well . Gangsters have many organized methods to sell their liquor. One of the methods was speakeasies, they were used by creating a password, and anyone that wanted to be granted access inside had to mutter it at the entrance. Even with prohibition in effect, the government believed America was going to go through a progressive, social change however, with alcohol in such demand it sent the U.S into darkness. One of the most notorious gangsters/bootlegger in American history was Al Capone. Iorizzo explains how Al Capone got his infamous name â€Å"Scarface.† The incident occurred one night when he insulted a patron’s sister at the bar he worked at. A customer unhappy with Al Capone’s remark used a bottle opener to leave Al Capone with three scars on his face. As Al Capone grew older, he was accused of many crimes including murder. No evidence was ever found or any witnesses that could ever tie them to accuse Al Capone of murder. One case was the death of Bill McSwiggin however, Al Capone stated that he nothing to do with the crime. Another piece of history from Al Capone was The St. Valentine’s Day massacre in which Al Capone ordered multiple hits on gang members, providing a serious threat to civilian safety in Chicago. By 1930 Al Capone had

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