- This article discusses the repeal of (alcohol) Prohibition in the United States.
In 1919, the requisite number of legislatures of the States ratified The 18th Amendment to the Federal Constitution, enabling national Prohibition within one year of ratification. Many women, notably the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, had been pivotal in bringing about national Prohibition in the United States of America, believing it would protect families, women and children from the effects of abuse of alcohol.
The proponents of Prohibition had believed that banning alcoholic beverages would reduce or even eliminate many social problems, particularly drunkenness, crime, mental illness, and poverty, and would eventually lead to reductions in taxes. However, during Prohibition, people continued to produce and drink alcohol, and bootlegging helped foster a massive industry completely under the control of organized crime. Prohibitionists argued that Prohibition would be more effective if enforcement were increased. However, increased efforts to enforce Prohibition simply resulted in the government spending more money, rather than less. Journalist H.L. Mencken observed in 1925 that respect for law diminished rather than increased during Prohibition, and drunkenness, crime, insanity, and resentment towards the federal government had all increased.
During this period, support for Prohibition diminished among voters and politicians. John D. Rockefeller Jr., a lifelong nondrinker who had contributed much money to the Prohibitionist Anti-Saloon League, eventually announced his support for repeal because of the widespread problems he believed Prohibition had caused. Influential leaders, such as the du Pont brothers, led the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, whose name clearly asserted its intentions.
Women as a bloc of voters and activists became pivotal in the effort to repeal, as many concluded that the effects of Prohibition were morally corrupting families, women, and children. (By then, women had become even more politically powerful due to ratification of the Constitutional amendment for women's suffrage.) Activist Pauline Sabin argued that repeal would protect families from the corruption, violent crime, and underground drinking that resulted from Prohibition. In 1929 Sabin founded the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR), which came to be partly composed of and supported by former Prohibitionists; its membership was estimated at 1.5 million by 1931.
The number of repeal organizations and demand for repeal both increased. In 1932, the Democratic Party's platform included a plank for the repeal of Prohibition, and Democrat Franklin Roosevelt ran for President of the United States promising repeal of federal laws of Prohibition. By then, an estimated three fourths of American voters, and an estimated forty-six states, favored repeal.
In 1933, the state conventions ratified the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed Amendment XVIII and prohibited only the violations of laws that individual states had in regard to "intoxicating liquors". Federal Prohibitionary laws were then repealed. The amendment was fully ratified on December 5, 1933. Some States, however, continued Prohibition within their jurisdictions. Almost two-thirds of all states adopted some form of local option which enabled residents in political subdivisions to vote for or against local Prohibition; therefore, for a time, 38% of Americans lived in areas with Prohibition. By 1966, however, all states had fully repealed their state-level Prohibition laws, with Mississippi the last state to do so. [1]
According to his own account, humorist H. Allen Smith was the first American to legally consume alcohol after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. Smith claimed to have bribed a telegraph operator to send a three-click advance warning signal just before sending out the message that Prohibition had been repealed. Smith used the signal to take a quick sip of his drink at the party he was attending.[citation needed]
Today, there are about 18 million Americans living in the hundreds of counties across the United States that maintain Prohibition.[citation needed] However, in most of the nation, alcoholic beverages remain legally available to adults of a certain legally-prescribed age with varying other restrictions.
References
- Cai Cowlyn, Jr., Jack S. Retreat from Reform. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1976.
- Kyvig, David E. Repealing National Prohibition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1979.
- Pollard, Joseph P. The Road to Repeal: Submission to Conventions. New York: Brentano's , 1932.
- Rose, Kenneth D. American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition. New York University Press, 1997.
- Tietsort, Francis J., (ed.) Temperance -- or Prohibition. NY: American, 1929.
- Willebrandt, Mabel W. The Inside of Prohibition. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1929.
See also
- Joseph H. Choate
- Jouett Shouse
- Methodist Board of Temperance, Prohibition, and Public Morals
- Pauline Sabin
- Repeal organizations
- Republican Citizens Committee Against National Prohibition
- Voluntary Committee of Lawyers
- William H. Stayton
- Women's Moderation Union
- Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform
External links
- Repeal Day - Official Website
- US Congressional Resolution, September 17, 2008, which "celebrates 75 years of effective State-based alcohol regulation since the passage of the 21st Amendment".
- "Whereas passage of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited `the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors' in the United States, resulted in a dramatic increase in illegal activity, including unsafe black market alcohol production, organized crime, and noncompliance with alcohol laws;"
S3325 #5 Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN03325:@@@L&summ2=m& - - or exporter'; and (B) by inserting `or departing from the United States' after `United States'. (c) Conforming Amendments- (1) Section 602 of title 17, United States Code, is further amended-(A) in the section heading, by inserting `or exportation' after `importation'; and (B) in subsection (b)-(i) by striking `( b) In a case' and inserting `(b) Import Prohibition- In a case'; (ii) by striking `the United States Customs Service' and inserting `United States Customs and Border Protection'; and (iii) by striking `the Customs Service' and inserting `United States Customs and Border Protection'. (2) Section 601(b)(2) of title 17, United States Code, is amended by striking `the United States Customs Service' and inserting `United States Customs and Border Protection'. (3) The item relating to chapter 6 in the table of chapters for title 17, United States Code, is amended to read as follow s: `6. Manufacturing Requirements, Importation, and Exportation........601'. TITLE II--ENHANCEMENTS TO CRIMINAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS SEC. 201. CRIMINAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. (a) Forfeiture and Destruction; Restitution- Section 506(b) of title 17, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: `( b) Forfeiture, Destruction, and Restitution- Forfeiture, destruction, and restitution relating to this section shall be subject to section 2323 of title 18, to the extent provided in that section, in addition to any other similar remedies provided by law.'. (b) Seizures and Forfeitures(1) REPEAL- Section 509 of title 17, United States Code, is repealed. (2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT- The table of sections for chapter 5 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 509. SEC. 202. TRAFFICKING IN COUNTERFEIT LABELS, ILLICIT LABELS, OR COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENTATION OR PACKAGING FOR WORKS THAT CAN BE COPYRIGHTED. Section 2318 of title 18, United States Code, is amended-(1) in subsection (a)-(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (G) as clauses (i) through (vii), respectively; (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; and (C) by striking `Whoever' and inserting `(1) Whoever'; (2) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows: `(d) Forfeiture and Destruction of Property; Restitution- Forfeiture, destruction, and restitution relating to this section shall be subject to section 2323, to the extent provided in that section, in addition to any other similar remedies provided by law.'; and (3) by striking subsection (e) and redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (e). SEC. 203. UNAUTHORIZED FIXATION. (a) Section 2319A(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: `(b) Forfeiture and Destruction of Property; Restitution- Forfeiture, destruction, and restitution relating to this section shall be subject to section 2323, to the extent provided in that section, in addition to any other similar remedies provided by law.'. (b) Section 2319A( c) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting: `The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue regulations by which any performer may, upon payment of a specified fee, be entitled to notification by United States Customs and Border Protection of the importation of copies or phonorecords that appear to consist of unauthorized fixations of the sounds or sounds and images of a live musical performance.'. SEC. 204. UNAUTHORIZED RECORDING OF MOTION PICTURES. Section 2319B(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follow s: `(b) Forfeiture and Destruction of Property; Restitution- Forfeiture, destruction, and restitution relating to this section shall be subject to section 2323, to the extent provided in that section, in addition to any other similar remedies provided by law.'. SEC. 205. TRAFFICKING IN COUNTERFEIT GOODS OR SERVICES. (a) In General- Section 2320 of title 18, United States Code, is amended-(1) in subsection (a)-(A) by striking `Whoever' and inserting `Offense- ' `(1) IN GENERAL- W hoever;'; (B) by moving the remaining text 2 ems to the right; and (C) by adding at the end the following: `( 2) SERIOUS BODILY HARM OR DEATH`(A) SERIOUS BODILY HARM- If the offender knowingly or recklessly causes or attempts to cause serious bodily injury from conduct in violation of paragraph (1), the penalty shall be a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both. `(B) DEATH- If the offender knowingly or recklessly causes or attempts to cause death from conduct in violation of paragraph (1), the penalty shall be a fine under this title or imprisonment for any term of years or for life, or both.'; and (2) by adding at the end the following: `(h) Transshipment and Exportation- No goods
Author: h4ck3rm1k3
Keywords: US Law Intellectual Property S3325
Added: December 8, 2008
Texas Cops busted by "Kop Busters"
Texas Cops busted by reality show "Kop Busters"..Barry Cooper's new reality show "Kop Busters" gets the footage for its pilot on 12/4/08. There have been some questions about supporting "Kop Busters" through donations or help. The very best way to support "Kop Busters" is by purchasing Barry Cooper's "Never Get Busted" DVDs through his website: http://nevergetbusted.com/v2/ If you are set on a non-profit, there are several good organizations, albeit less electrifying than Barry Cooper. Some of my favorites include: The National Organization for the Repeal of Marijuana Laws (NORML) http://norml.org/ The Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org/ Law Enforcement Against Prohibition http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php also, Sam (pictured on the far left of the group photo from the video) has some great videos of interactions with law enforcement and the courts at http://www.obscuredtruth.com/
Author: ricintoxin81
Keywords: texas austin police cops kop busters warrant war on drugs Barry Cooper corruption news reality show online
Added: December 7, 2008
Tweet Week - Episode 6
Hottest Twitter-Related Topics The rise of Celebrities on Twitter Increasing use of twitter by media personalities and celebrities by @cheeky_geeky http://www.chrisbrogan.com/guest-post-the-post-geekdominant-twitterverse/ Veronica Belmont discusses Twitter impersonators http://www.veronicabelmont.com/2008/12/kanye-west-gets-a-tweetposter/ Kanye West got a little upset last week when he found a @kanyewest twitterer with 8,000 followers. http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=215680_-1__0_~0_-1_12_2008_0_0&em3298=&em3282=&em3281=&em3161= Actor Luke Wilson is now on Twitter http://twitter.com/LukeWilson Spoof off the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam titled Dude Cam http://www.stephenpetronis.com/dudeCam/ #6wordepitaph http://search.twitter.com/search?q=6wordepitaph People Browsr Twitter App http://www.peoplebrowsr.com/ #FaveCereal Who stared this? Where did it come from? Top Discussed News SoMeMe Social Media Museum http://twitter.com/conniereece http://brandimpact.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/social-media-museum-has-bloggers-all-a-twitter/ Open Web Awards (The Finals) http://mashable.com/2008/12/03/openwebawards2-final-voting-round/ Google Reader Update Faster but some peeps dont like the boxy look. Friday marked the 75th Anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition Happy Repeal of Prohibition Day! OJ Simpson Jailed for 15 years. http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/05/oj.simpson.sentencing/index.html Top Tweeted URL's Shannon Whitely's Top 10 List of People to Unfollow on Twitter http://www.voiceoftech.com/swhitley/?p=611 Mashable's Lessons to Be Learned From Pownces Demise http://mashable.com/2008/12/02/pownce-demise/ The Holy Church of Bacon Wiki Entry for The Book of Bacon http://worshipbacon.com/wiki/Holy_Book_of_Bacon The Mario Kart Love Song on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDBpQVhCMb8 Hilarious Tweets of the Week.... http://twitter.com/superfantastic/statuses/1043784405 http://twitter.com/Moltz/statuses/1043792691 http://twitter.com/matthewbaldwin/statuses/1043082007 http://twitter.com/sween/statuses/1043894084 http://twitter.com/ev/statuses/1043145179 http://twitter.com/wilshipley/statuses/1043994226
Author: tweetweek
Keywords: tweetweek tweet week twitter news show twitterati microblogging social networking julia roy @juliaroy vlog video web 2.0 applications tools media
Added: December 7, 2008
Marijuana and prohibition Part 2
Doug Greene and Paul DeRienzo discuss the war on drugs and 75 years since the repeal of prohibition.
Author: pderienzo
Keywords: social science prohibition
Added: December 7, 2008
December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)/The Four Seasons
"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" is a hit single by The Four Seasons, written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, produced by Gaudio, and included on the group's 1975 album Who Loves You. This single was released in December 1975 and hit number one on the UK singles chart on February 21, 1976. It repeated the feat on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on March 13, remaining in the top spot for three weeks and one week on Cash Box and in Canada. New drummer Gerry Polci and bassist Don Ciccone shared lead vocals with long-time frontman Frankie Valli. The song was originally about the repeal of Prohibition, but the lyrics were changed at the urgings of Valli and lyricist Parker. The song became a nostalgic remembrance of a young man's "first time" with a woman. In the Broadway play Jersey Boys, the song accompanied the Bob Gaudio character being set up with a prostitute by the other Four Seasons, in order to lose his virginity. In 1994, the record was re-released with added percussion effects and remixed vocals (mixed by Dutch disk jockey Ben Liebrand in 1988). This version of "December, 1963" spent 27 weeks on the Hot 100 (matching the chart life of the original single). The peak position of the remix version was #14. Adding together the two 27-week chart runs from 1976 and 1994 gives the song the longest tenure ever on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.
Author: ReyDLT1957
Keywords: rock vocal Frankie Valli Four Seasons Bob Gaudio Judy Parker
Added: December 6, 2008