AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL

When the Puritans first settled in the New World after departing the Mayflower, alcohol was a common part of life. Being deeply religious Christian people and believing that Jesus drank wine and used it in many religious rituals there was little doubt in their mind that there was nothing wrong with moderate consumption. In fact, it was safer to drink wine than the water that was often filled impurities and bacteria that would cause illness. Early Americans of all ages, gender, and social standing would drink moderately often times throughout the day. The favored drinks of the time were beer and ale and were low strength and not overly intoxicating. Most of the beers were made from barley as they are today but there were also ginger beers, corn beers, and even from the bark of some trees.

Taverns were social gathering places and not looked upon as a place of evil and debauchery. They were often built near churches and town halls so as to be readily available to the public after and sometimes during town meetings. Alcohol was enjoyed by all races, sexes, ages, and classes. Alcohol was looked on as God given gift for everyone to use in moderation. However abuse of this gift was highly frowned upon. The social order of society in those days did not allow over-indulgence and in such tight woven communities and families there was little problem of alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

During the era of the American Revolution, the social structure changed. There was an urbanization that began and with it came poverty and crime. These were often times blamed on drunkenness. Drinking became more gender and age segregated which encouraged more binge drinking. Drunkenness became associated with antisocial aggressive male behavior in the early nineteenth century. The social ridicule that accompanied drunkenness began to lessen its hold on people as the fabric of the closely knit communities began to unravel.

People started producing whiskey from the surplus of their grain harvest. Corn and the like were easier and more lucrative to transport in alcoholic form. Whiskey quickly grew to be almost as good as currency. Communities started to disperse and individuals began to strike out on their own to find their fortunes. Because they no longer had a disapproving community to look down upon them often times they would drink to excess and sometimes by themselves. This was a change – in the first days of colonization of America was unheard of. Drinking was turning from a social lubricant to be enjoyed together in moderation with the community into something that was being abused alone by individuals. Middle and upper classes started to abstain from alcohol consumption on a regular basis as they felt it was not conducive to an industrious life style. Since people were no longer drinking regularly in moderation and the alcohol content had changed, when they did drink it would often lead to binges and heavy intoxication. Bad behavior would inevitably follow. Drinking alcohol in the social consciousness had transformed into and activity that was not good. In 1784 one of the foremost physicians of the time, Dr. Benjamin Rush, stated that the over consummation of alcohol was dangerous to mental and physical health.

TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES

Thus came the birth of temperance societies. The first one consisted of some two hundred farmers from the Connecticut area. Soon thereafter more societies sprung up in New York and Virginia and over the next ten years more appeared in eight other states. The societies encouraged moderation of the consumption of alcohol as opposed to abstinence. The future looked good for these young societies. However the success went to the leaders’ heads apparently and they began to delve into other moral issues including gambling and not respecting the Sabbath as well as other issues. They became involved in political bickering and the movement was halted. But the die- hards of the movement were not to be thwarted and pressed on with their purpose. In 1826 The American Temperance Society formed and within ten years of its inception it boasted over eight thousand local groups with over 1,500,000 individual members.

However, the topic evolved into the position that temperance was not enough and the total abstinence of alcohol was the only way to thwart the demonic outcome of intoxication. Thus the Temperance Society became the Abstinence society. The Society pushed their message through the media, novel and pamphlets. In every election prohibition was one of the big issues. Prohibition of alcohol became one of the biggest moral issues pushed in American society to date. The Prohibitionists fought for their cause at every turn. The Civil War temporarily halted the movement but once it was over the movement again forged ahead full force. After the war in 1873 the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement was founded. One of the aims of the society were to prevent the abuse by drunken husbands. Women had little rights to property, possessions and even their own children and they felt if alcohol was prohibited it would make their home lives better. They also started alcohol education to get to the youth to perhaps pave the way for prohibition in the future.

PROHIBITION LEGISLATION

After much public outcry Kansas became the first state in 1881 to outlaw alcoholic beverages in its constitution. Soon other states followed. Another society in the way of the Anti-Saloon League was formed. These societies would not let go of the issue and finally after almost a hundred years, all the temperance societies dreams were realized. The 18th Amendment to Constitution was ratified on January 16th, 1919 to be effective on January 17th 1920. So began the Prohibition.

Unfortunately as good as the intentions were of the societies who started the prohibition movement it came laced with its own set of problems. Many otherwise law abiding citizens felt that the law was unnecessary and felt the government had no need to meddle with their consumption of alcohol. The black market soon took over where honest businesses were no longer allowed to tread. In Chicago and other border towns the sale of illegal liquor became prominent. Many establishments called speak easies opened up where people could eat and consume alcohol. With internal corruption and few resources, the government was unable to successfully enforce the new amendment. Many prominent Mafia gangsters of the time including Al Capone were involved in the sale of illegal alcohol and made quite a profit in this way. Bootleggers began running alcohol up and down the countryside in small fast cars.

That is how NASCAR actually got its start. Bootleggers would race up and down in the Appalachian mountains going avoiding the authorities and racing in their small cars soon became a sport all its own.

Eventually, it came to the public attention that the prohibition was actually causing more crime than it was preventing. Apparently people were going to drink whether there was a legal way to buy it or not. If the government made it legal at least they could put a large sales tax on it and the country could profit from the sale as opposed to criminals making a lot of nontaxable income. Also it would provide gainful employment in a time where America was in the Great Depression and Americans were in desperate need of jobs. In December of 1933 the twenty first amendment was passed and the Federal government turned over the authority of the sale of alcohol to the states. America as a nation was thrilled and that was the end of that. To this day there are still some counties and towns where the sale of alcohol is still prohibited.

SUMMARY

At Narconon alcohol rehabilitation programs, as we teach alcohol education, we stress the fact that regardless of what is going on with the society around one, sobriety is a personal responsibility. The Temperance Societies and Prohibition have shown this too be true. Sobriety cannot be legistlated.