Prohibition and Organised Crime

Prohibition

A period in the United States when the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages were banned by the 18th Amendment from 1919 to 1933.

Temperance groups

Organizations that advocated for moderation or complete abstinence from alcohol, leading the campaign for Prohibition in the United States.

Organised Crime

Criminal activities carried out by groups with a formal structure, such as gangs, that increased during Prohibition due to the illegal alcohol trade.

18th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that prohibited the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States, passed in 1919 and repealed in 1933.

Moonshiners

Illegal producers of alcohol, particularly whiskey, during Prohibition.

Speakeasies

Illicit establishments that sold alcoholic beverages during Prohibition, often hidden or disguised as other businesses.

Al Capone

A notorious gangster who rose to power during Prohibition, controlling much of the illegal alcohol trade in Chicago.

Repeal of Prohibition

The act of ending the Prohibition era in the United States, achieved by the ratification of the 21st Amendment in December 1933.

Public health issues

Problems arising from the consumption of poor-quality or contaminated alcohol during Prohibition, leading to health risks and sometimes death.

Roosevelt

Refers to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who promised to repeal Prohibition during his presidential campaign and followed through by supporting the 21st Amendment.