On January 17, 1920, the United States entered a transformative and chaotic chapter known as Prohibition. With the enactment of the 18th Amendment, the manufacture, sale, and transportation of “intoxicating liquors” became illegal. What was intended as a “Noble Experiment” to cure social ills—poverty, crime, and domestic violence—instead birthed a decade of underground glamour, systemic corruption, and a radical shift in American nightlife.
The Rise of the Speakeasy
The most immediate effect of Prohibition was not the end of drinking, but its migration into the shadows. As legitimate saloons shuttered their doors, they were replaced by thousands of “speakeasies.” The term came from the practice of “speaking easy” about such a place in public, or speaking softly to the doorman to gain entry.
In cities like New York and Chicago, speakeasies ranged from grimy “smoke joints” in basements to lavish, upscale clubs where jazz flourished. These hidden bars became the first truly integrated social spaces for gender; while the old-fashioned saloon was a strictly male domain, the speakeasy welcomed women, giving rise to the “Flapper” culture. The thrill of the forbidden, combined with the rhythm of the Jazz Age, defined the 1920s social scene.
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Bathtub Gin and Rum Runners
With the supply of legal alcohol cut off, Americans turned to creative—and often dangerous—methods of production.
Moonshine and Bathtub Gin: Amateur distillers produced high-proof spirits in home stills. Because these concoctions often tasted foul or were chemically harsh, bartenders began mixing them with juices, sodas, and honey, inadvertently popularizing the modern cocktail.
The Rum Line: High-speed boats, known as rum-runners, waited just outside U.S. territorial waters to smuggle quality liquor from the Bahamas, Canada, and the Caribbean.
Medicinal Alcohol: Doctors were permitted to prescribe “medicinal” whiskey for everything from the flu to anxiety. During Prohibition, the number of “ailments” requiring whiskey skyrocketed, with millions of gallons dispensed legally through pharmacies.
The Era of the Gangster
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Prohibition was the rise of organized crime. The enormous profits to be made from bootlegging allowed small-time criminals to evolve into powerful, wealthy syndicates.
Figures like Al Capone in Chicago and Lucky Luciano in New York became household names. These “public enemies” often functioned like CEOs of massive, violent corporations, bribing police officers, judges, and politicians to look the other way. The violence associated with “turf wars”—most notably the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929—eventually soured the public’s view of the 18th Amendment, as the “dry” law seemed to be creating more crime than it prevented.
The Great Depression and the End of the Experiment
By the early 1930s, the mood of the country had shifted. The Great Depression had decimated the economy, and the government desperately needed the tax revenue that legal alcohol sales could provide. Furthermore, the enforcement of Prohibition was proving to be a logistical and financial nightmare.
In 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified, making the United States the first (and only) nation to repeal a constitutional amendment. On December 5, “Repeal Day,” Americans took to the streets to celebrate the return of legal beer and spirits.
