Prohibition in the United States: A History from Beginning to End

For thirteen years, from 1920 to 1933, the transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages were prohibited in America. This “Noble Experiment” was undertaken because its supporters believed that alcohol was the single major cause of both crime and poverty. They believed that prohibiting alcohol would lead to the end of poverty and slum housing in the United States and that prisons and jails would no longer be needed.

However, the precise opposite proved to be true. Prohibition led directly to rising crime rates, widespread illegal behavior amongst ordinary Americans, and a loss of respect for laws, law enforcement, and for the apparatus of government. How could something based on such good intentions go so disastrously wrong?

This book tells the story of the temperance movement in America, of its rise over a period of one hundred years to encompass the growing women’s movement, and how it eventually attained its goal in 1920. It tells the story of Prohibition itself, of how people exploited loopholes in the law to continue drinking legally, and of how they simply ignored the law and drank illegally. It tells the story of the bootleggers and corrupt officials who made fortunes from Prohibition and the politicians who supported and attacked it. This is the story of a bold experiment undertaken for the very best of reasons which led to the worst of outcomes.

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Lydbog: 2. september 2026