How Did Prohibition Change The Culture Of The 1920's

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The amount of illegal drinking and illegal activity during prohibition relate to the changing social values and culture of the 1920's. This was right after the war so people wanted to celebrate and have fun. Since there were a lot of loopholes in the Volstead Act, people tried to go around it to be able to drink. This was changing the culture by the crime rate increasing, and the people were changing their values In the past adults cared more about their young children, but now it seems as if going out and drinking were more important. Single women values changed as drinking got more popular. In January 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment to the constitution was approved. It outlawed the transportation, sale, and manufacture of alcoholic beverages. After the law passed consumption moved in the home instead of being in saloons. Americans in the liquor business redistilled the alcohol in certain products like perfume, paint, and carpentry supplies. Little did they know at the time that those were poison products. Gangsters provided alcohol to many people in the 1920's. Prohibition laws violated the Volstead Act by allowing some wines and beer. In the first two years of prohibition, about 65,000 federal criminal actions took place. The prisons’ became crowded …show more content…

People went from Victorian values to new mainstream American values of the 1920's. Victorian values are like a strict code of ethics, and morals which are related to all genders and how they are supposed to act. With the new values of the 1920's the people who went by Victorian values were threatened by the new mainstream American values. Leisure and pleasure were prized over hard work and self denial. Prohibition caused a cultural clash with Victorian people. The women enjoyed their new freedoms thanks to the independent source of income. Many people considered that the new women to be a threat to social

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