The Causes and Effects of Prohibition in the 1920’s

America’s great folly, prohibition, went into effect January 16, 1920, and was finally repealed December 5, 1933, leaving everyone in America, most notably those in which it was designed to help undeniably changed forever. The effects of the 18th Amendment negatively influenced all that it affected, even those who passed it as a law, and was, without a doubt, one of the biggest downfalls in American history.
Arguably the single most influential group of immigrants to come into the United States in the latter half of the 19th century came from Germany – entailing over eight million immigrants in total (Behr, 63). As a result, the German culture and industriousness put an indelible stamp on the areas they settled into, and transformed American drinking habits (63). After many years of protesting and petitioning, the supporters of prohibition found success in the Volstead Act – passed in 1919 – signaling the beginning of the 18th Amendment (Wenburn, 8). The Volstead Act stat...