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Speakeasies were formed in the 1920's as a means
to get around the everyday hassle of
law enforcement watching for people to violate the 18th Amendment. As a
result of Prohibition, the speakeasy was an established institution. For
every legitimate saloon that closed as a result of the new law, a half
dozen underground palaces sprung up.
These speakeasies were one of
the many ways that people during the 1920's and early 1930's obtained
illegal alcohol.
Although speakeasies were
illegal there were many benefits to those who took the risks of ownership.
A speakeasy could net its owner a lot of money, but it also took money to
make a profit.
The Eighteenth Amendment and
Prohibition
A certain decade in history which has gone down in history as one
of the the most corrupt and exciting is the decade of the1920s. This era
is also known as the "Roaring Twenties".
This decade was characterised
not only by middle class citizens, but it was a decade also notable for
its law breakers, sensational murder trials, flappers, and its rise of
organized crime. This increase in criminal activity by not only organized
crime but also the middle class citizen can be attributed to the
ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment.
On January 29, 1919, the
Eighteenth Amendment was ratified and set to take effect in 1920. It
prohibited the sale, manufacture, or transportation of intoxicating
liquor. The Amendment has often been refered to as the "Noble Experiment"
because its main purpose was to decrease alcholism and to make life better
overall.
The main problem with the
Eighteenth Amendment was that very many people didn't stop drinking
because the law didn't specifcally deny it.
Underground bars or saloons,
called speakeasies, opened up for
business. Citizens who had
once been law abiding now had to seek entertainment, refreshment, and
socialization in illegal bars.
It was eventually accepted
that the "Noble Experiment" started with the passage of the 18th Amendment
was not working. Prohibition was repealed in 1933 with the passage of the
21st Amendment. The experiment had failed.
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