Seeds of Prohibition
By Michael Kashey
Staff Writer, Cocktail Historian
“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits. Fanatics will never learn that, though it
be written in letters of gold across the sky. It is the
prohibition that makes anything precious.”
These words by Mark Twain can speak volumes on the idea that morality can be governed. In
American history the United States embarked on a
great experiment to legislate morality and pick its people out of the moral gutter. The experiment was called
Prohibition. The average American knows of Prohibition during the time it was enacted but have very little
knowledge of the actual history of it. For the typical
American Prohibition lasted from 1919 until its repeal
in 1933, however the roots of this anti-alcohol sentiment went back much further, even prior to the
Women’s Suffrage Movement. From its beginning as
an organized movement in Baltimore all the way to its
repeal almost a century later the noble experiment of
Prohibition a chapter of American history that will be
told time and time again.
To truly understand Prohibition we must look
at the beginning of the movement, a concept that dates
back almost to the creation of United States. Throughout world history people drank fermented beverages,
with roughly a 2% alcohol content, as a means of hydration due to lack of clean water. Meads, ales and
wine were the typical drinks of choice. However with
the expansion of distilleries, hard liquor became more
and more common. The subsequent rise of distilled
high proof spirits such as rum and whiskey lead to a
more drunken society.
By 1830, the average American fifteen years
and older, drank about 55 bottles of whiskey a year. In
comparison to their modern counterparts, that is three
times more. This amount of consumption gave way to a
feeling of disdain for distributors of alcohol that would
sweep over the country for the next century and a half.
The disproportional amount of inebriation would fuel
the flames of growing public concern with the nation’s
alcohol consumption.
In 1840, six alcoholics met in a tavern in Baltimore, Maryland and vowed to never touch alcohol
again. They formed what would then become known as
the Washingtonians, a group of abstainers that would
push forth a new movement in American history, the
Temperance movement.
groups such as the WashingtoHowever
nians. the army against alcohol
their creed differed
began to grow. However due
greatly from the temto the role of women and the
perance that would
lack of a vote the movement
end up taking control
failed to get off ground right
of the nation in the
away. Despite being allowed
first half of the 20th
to attend men’s temperance
century. They did not
meetings, female leaders in the
place blame upon
women’s movement such as
distributors nor proSusan B. Anthony and Elizaducers of alcohol nor
beth Cady Stanton were rarely
did they believe in
permitted to speak, if at all.
changes to laws to
This discrimination caused the
end the sale of alcowomen to focus on equality
hol. Personal responand the right to vote.
sibility was a trait
Over the next several decthey preached. In fact
ades the Temperance movemoderation as opment regrouped and refocused
posed to abstinence
their efforts. It wouldn’t be
was practiced among
until the early 20th century that
the early Temperance.
they would gain national tracEleven years
tion. By December of 1917
Prior to the 1800s distilled spirits such as whiskey
after the founding of
both houses of the American
were uncommon in America.
the Washingtonians
government had voted in favor
shop keepers so moved by the
the first state passed anti-liquor
of Prohibition and the movement
spectacle vowed to never sell allaws. After being elected mayor of
had won a victory. For the mocohol again, others ignored the
Portland, Maine, Neal Dow conment...… To be continued next issue.
groups completely. In just eleven
vinced the state legislature to pass
days nine out of
a law that fined distributors of
the city’s thirliquor and gave prison sentences
teen bars and
for those guilty of producing alcotaverns vowed
hol.
to close and
The success of the newly
never sell alcoenacted prohibition law would not
hol again. This
last forever. As a surge of Irish
method of disimmigrants poured into Portland,
ruption would
relationships between them and
become a tool
authority became strained. In 1855
used by both
a crowd of about 3,000 Irish bemen
and
gan to riot in protest of the “dry
women with the
law,” the riot ended with one perTemperance
son dead and seven wounded after
Movement until
militiamen opened fire on the
Carrie Nation
crowd. By 1860 every state that
would
travel
had enacted prohibitory laws had
from saloon to
gone wet again, this however
saloon with her
would not be the end.
i nfa mo u s
On December 23, 1873
hatchet.
after attending a speech on abstiW i t h
nence, a group of women from
the rise of the
Hillsboro, Ohio took to the streets
women’s Temand began publicly praying for
perance move- Photograph of Carrie Nation wielding her hatchet.
(and often times with) the souls of
ment and men’s
those selling alcohol. Some of the