Prohibition terms
Concurrent Powers
- Federal government and state governments worked along side each to police ande force prohibition nationally and across state lines - From early 1900s states passed legislation that enforced state-wide prohibition - After passage of Volstead Act in 1919 the Federal Gov took principal responsibility for enforcing prohibition. It was the divided between the Treausry Department who's prohibition bureau was responsible for agents iin the field, and the Justice Department which dealt with prosecutions - after passage of volstead states expefcted to pass supplementary laws to accompany it. - while some states
Schooner, banana boats, Coast Guard cutters
- In trying to evade prohibition law and get alcohol into US by sea, smugglers had first to avoid the authorities charged with policing coastal waters and securing the country's borders. The smugglers had plenty of financial backing to help them do this, so money was no object and they were able to employ a range of different vessels and tactics to transport and land their booty successfully. - Coast guard cutter: light and fast patrol boats given to chase the schooners loaded with elicit alcohol - Outrunning a cutter not easy for a schooner, the traditional alcohol smuggling transport of choice - where a quick dash to the US was needed on the run from Saint Pierre and Maquelon 12 miles off the coast of Newfoundland... -banana boats became preferred mode of transport - low in the water and fast. With a good wireless oeprate, the best radio equiptment and coded communications with those on shore, they were often able to evade detection. - one called the the liberty was purported to be fastest on east coast - powered by 3 liberty aircraft engines - could move at 38-44mph too fast to be caught by cutter
Assassination of Mrs C. B. Cook
Mrs C.B. Cook, President of the Bneton Count Women's Christian Temperance Union, was assassinated on September 7th 1923 after returning from church in Benton County, Iowa. - 41 year old - high profile in the temperance movement in support prohibition - well-publicised efforts to put a halt to bootlegging - suspicion immediately on thsoe engaged in this illegal activity - logical assumption - 3 weeks prior she accused local officials of being lax in prohibition enforcement - last weeks she comiled a list of suspected bootleggers, urged local prohibition enforcement offer to take urgent action against them, was preparing to send it to grand jury - dry officials now thought bootleggers had become aware of report and assassinated her before it could be published - eventually chicago gunman prime suspect - likely accurate as national prohibition > rise in bootlegging - bootlegging attractive form of work befocause there was still demand and easy acces to alcohol - bootleggers could ramp up their prices and generate high profits - bootleggers even women - 50,000 women involved in violations of dry laws in 1920 - Butte montana - 3000 in prison in 1915, 1930 11,0000 - did her death derail dry cause? -
The Story of the Klan on the Tennessee
The Klan's newspaper 'The Watcher on the Tower' reported on King Kleage Luther Powell's visit to the USS Tennessee in 1923. The battleship was at that time stationed in the Puget Sund. The article claims that during his visit Powell had formed a provisional Klan Chapter, US Navy Klan No. 1. It states that this was followed up with a letter to Admiral SS Robinson on the USS Califronia with a request that Navy Klansmen be rante dto leave to attend a Klan meeting. This indicates the level of the support for the Klan by the 1920s. Powell felt confident enough to approach the US military and police departments in an attempt to recruit members directly from their ranks, hopin that this would improve the KKK's reputation in Washington. However, this source must be considered with skepticism. It may well have exaggerated the success of the Klan because it was in an official Klan newspaper. The outcome of this visit remained unclear. Moreover, i is unknown how many members of the klan there were in the 1920s because it kepts its figures secret. Nevertheless, despite declining after the American Civil War, by the 1920s the Klan was once again becoming a significant force. Historians approximate membership levels surpassing 5 mill. The Klan gained support by styling itself around themes of 100% Americanism. By aruging that changes at the beginning of the 1920s threatened the virtues of white, Protestant Americans it tapped into anxeities about radicalism and rising immigration after the First World War. It was these ideas that prompted the Klan to appeal to support from the navy. Pegram argues that support for prohibition was part and parcel of ideas of 100% Americanism. The Klan supported prohibition because it reflected values of Protestant evangelical morality: defence of purity, morality and the home. It became involved in enforcing prohibition because it argued that as the white militant arm of the Protestant church it would fight to preserve American democracy. It also generated support for the invisible empire. In many communities local citizens' movements in support for prohibition prompted the organisation of Klaverns in the first place. Pegram argues that ineffective of prohibition brought the Klan and ASL together. THey both appealed to white protestant culture. In some cases, they co-operated to directly enforce dry laws. For example, in 1925 William H Anderson superintendent of the NYASL openly worked to craft an alliance between Klansmen and the ASL by founding the American Patriotic Protestant Protective Alliance.
Prohibition law passed over Wilson's veto
The prohibition law refers to the Volstead Act which was framed to enforce the 18th amendment of the US constitution. The 18th amendment banned the production, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the USA as well as their importation and exportation. It was passed in December 1917 during wartime mobilisation, and ratified on January 16th 1919 to take effect 12 months later. The Amendment did not, however, define what it meant by intoxicating liquor or set down methods for enforcement. The Volstead Act was passed by Congress to clarify these matters. It became law on October 28th 1919 despite the fact that it was vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson. He argued that prohibition had been introduced as an emergency wartime measure and by 1919 he believed that its objects had been satsified. The President's veto was overidden by the HOR 176 to 55 thanks to its republican majority. A day later it was passed by the senate 65 to 20, a fact which also demonstrated the divisions within the democratic party. Many found the President's attempt to veto the Volstead Act surprising. It was believed that it should just be enforced seeing that it was already on the statute books. It also demonstrated his weakness and unpopularity as well as the strength of attitudes towards prohibition. There were other factors which also encumbered the President at this time. Throughout 1919 he had been touring the US trying to garner public support following the Senate's refusal to raify the TOV and join the LOG. In October of that year he then suffered an extreme stroke and was left physically paralysed. At the time the Volstead Act was being passed it was actually the President's wife who was making many of the executive decisions
