...Anthony Peebles HIST 1302 Jared Ingram Never Ending War The United States has been involved in several wars and have declared itself the winner in most. There has been civil wars and world wars that have taken troops around the globe to defend democracy and freedom. America has stood up for those whose human and civil rights were threatened, we have supplied small armies with the funds, equipment, and intelligence needed to defeat the enemy. America has a great track record at defeating its enemy and making sure they don’t show their heads anymore, but since being declared an enemy publicly in 1971 this enemy continues to deliver major blows to America and its citizens. This enemy is not a nation of communist, an insane dictator, or a group of extremist, this enemy is drugs. The war on drugs has been the biggest and longest war in my lifetime. Although Richard Nixon is known for launching what we consider the modern day war on drugs, this war was started several years prior to Nixon becoming President of the United States. Some local laws against drugs where established as early as 1860. The first national law was the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914. This act was to provide registration to all that dealt in the services of opium and coca leaves. Coca leaves once extracted provides the bases for cocaine. In this time cocaine was not illegal and was often prescribed by doctors to patients for ailments such as common headaches or colds. Unknowingly those patients became addicted...
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...the United States between 1920 and 1933. Prohibition/ the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture and distribution (but not consumption) of alcohol. Prohibition divided the nation in two. “Dry” versus “Wets”. Dry’s were those who supported prohibition, and “Wets” opposed the law. There were a couple of factors behind prohibition being approved. Firstly, World War I played a major role. With the United States fighting against Germany, tension against Germans began to spread. Rising xenophobia aided the passing of prohibition because the majority of liquor manufactures were German, so banning alcohol would negatively affect Germans. The Anti-Saloon, Women’s Rights and religion also played a major role in passing the 18th Amendment; as well as the NAACP, WCTU, the KKK, and the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World). (Prohibition, 2009)...
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...Festivals have become ubiquitous in Australia, with hundreds held each year. An event such as midnight mafia is representing the hard dance scene. Midnight Mafia stands as a popular overnight indoor festival that happens mid-April every year, located in Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Showground. The door opens from 9pm till 6am. Tickets have 3 releases, first, second and final release which is $5 more expensive each time. Eg. 1st release- $115 2nd Release- $125 3rd Release- $135 Midnight Mafia is created by a HSU (harder styles united) playing all hard dance music with famous international line-ups. Midnight Mafia has got a gangster and mafia theme for the event and every artist partakes a nickname as the Hitmen, The godfather, The Gambler, The...
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...Prohibition: the Eighteenth Amendment The PBS documentary Prohibition (2011) by Ken Burns is a thorough look at the 18th amendment including the history behind the amendment and the problems encountered while attempting to enforce the amendment. It also offers some insight as to the reasons that the amendment was so unsuccessful at stopping alcohol consumption and explains the path to its eventual repeal. Today it’s difficult to imagine the circumstances that would have brought about prohibition into existence. However, Burns does a great job about laying down the contexts under which prohibition was allowed to come into fruition in the U.S. As we have learned in class laws are a reflection of societies and the people that inhabit the societies....
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...Before these restrictions became federal law, the Temperance Movement pushed for states to pass what were known as dry laws. The movement gained so much support that only a few years before World War I, twenty six states had passed dry laws. The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1919 and prohibited the sale, manufacture, or transportation of alcoholic beverages (Vile). The eighteenth amendment was challenged soon after its adoption as an unconstitutional interference with state police powers. This argument was rejected by the Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court had already made decision, critics still held their perspective of the unconstitutional federal intrusion and felt that control was best left to the state (Vile). The eighteenth amendment prohibited the use of alcohol. However it failed to stop alcohol consumption. Because it was now illegal, it became affiliated with organized crime. Crime groups became providers of alcohol (Vile). Organized crime groups began to sell alcohol to speakeasies. Speakeasies were places of social drinking and became quite popular and profitable (Vile). Often hidden within a building of a legitimate business, speakeasies were a place for socializing and alcohol could be obtained within...
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...Taking things away from people never seems to stop them from obtaining the object they want. The 18th amendment, passed in the 1920s, only proves how relentless people are. The 18th amendment created prohibition, or the act of making alcohol illegal. However, since alcohol was everywhere, this amendment did nothing but increase organized crime and consumption of alcohol. Because of the historic events shown, I disagree with Earl Rochester when he states that people who want to drink need to have a license to do so. The idea of an alcohol license is quite insane. In a way people already have a license for alcohol: the driver’s license. Driver’s license are used to show ages and birthdays to the person selling the alcoholic beverages. People...
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...Expansions? The amendments of the early 20th century were a crucial breeding ground for the development of how government and citizens saw their roles. Religious groups and women preached toward anti-alcoholic sentiments and brought about the 18th amendment. Many states prior to this had already banned alcohol sales and it was considered a state matter that government shouldn’t interfere with. This amendment, although morally right, was more of a volatile infringement on American standards that had been around since the Mayflower. Government officials ended up accepting bribes, alcohol that was sold illegally often killed buyers from poisonous elements used in home distillery, and the mafia began to establish stronger footholds...
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...The film prohibition directed by Ken Burns honestly depicted the important people that played a major role in the prohibition era, and the toll alcohol took on families. During this era alcohol was as American as apple pie, men who worked hard and all day would drink beer or whiskey during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In certain towns, there were even town bells that would ring twice a day to inform the men that it was time for their daily drink, they would all stop working and meet in barns or local hang out places to drink alcohol. It’s believed that in 1830 Americans fifteen and older drunk about eighty-eight bottles of whiskey a year. As families fell a parts and fathers were homeless there was many groups created to help bring men back into society and away from the temptation of alcohol. This movement was called the Temperance movement which is sort of like our modern-day AAA meetings. Where a group of men would get together and speak about what attracted them to alcohol and lead them to road of modern day sobriety. As time, continued alcohol was prohibited but there were always bootleggers at every place you went. The doctors, shop owners, and dentists all sold alcohol illegally; however, it’s what the people wanted. Even though the government made it illegal to buy and drink alcohol there were always loophole that the American people found. Once the Civil war started though the government was fine with the sale of alcohol because they needed the money for the war and...
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...In the 200+ year history of the United States, only one amendment, the 18th, has been repealed. The 18th amendment looked to prohibit the use, manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages. In order to fix some of America’s problems- such as corruption, abuse, crime, unemployment, and worker safety, most Americans, 80% of them, pushed for and achieved prohibition. However, America eventually repealed the 18th. The main factors when it came to this decision were an increase in crime, weak enforcement of the law and lack of respect for it, and economic reasons. Due to prohibition, crime had become rampant in America. Cartoonist Winsor McCay illustrates this problem perfectly. As long as the US government, Uncle Sam, supports...
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...Repealed in 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment was one of the most controversial at the time it was ratified, with an entire black market opposing it. Spurring the Prohibition, a period of time in which the selling and drinking of alcohol was illegal, this amendment changed the lives of many people, creating a whole new meaning of breaking the law. Quoting the specified amendment, “The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.” As we saw during our research, there were oppositions and protests to this unpopular amendment, and many people found new ways to break and go around the law—enough so that the...
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...The prohibition era describes a moment in American history where the consumption of alcohol beverages was banned between the years 1913 and 1933. During this time the American congress dismissed all alcohol selling and consumption activities in various states in the U.S. following the requirements of the 18th amendment[footnoteRef:1]. The amendment was approved by the United States congress in the year 1917 and declared the manufacturing sale and transportation of alcoholic material in the country as illegal. The ramification of the amendment was approved by over two thirds of the American congress. Prohibition was to initiate one year later. The prohibition law was perceived as an act of social engineering that could spell out various implications to the American public. What was not understood was whether the governments and citizens were ready to deal with the prohibition. Before the prohibition many Americans labelled themselves as wet or dry. [1: Parramore, Thomas, et al Norfolk: The first four centuries (Charlottesville: University Press of...
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...Once Prohibition was enacted, from 1920 through 1933, times changed drastically. Although the goal of Prohibition was to end the consumption and sale of alcohol, America still kept drinking. Drinking during Prohibition changed the culture of those in urban, northeastern cities, “Prohibition changed not only where Americans drank, but who drank as well” (Okrent 211) . People for the first time threw parties that served alcohol without even serving meals. The entire culture of parties changed; parties were thrown for the main purpose of drinking and social gathering. Women were also brought to parties, and “For the first time, men and women were drinking together outside the home, at events where dinner wasn’t served.” (Okrent 207). Prohibition...
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...The 18th Amendment to the Constitution was implemented as the result of a many decades long crusade in favor of Prohibition by several women's groups (Women's National Christian Temperance Union), the Anti-Saloon League, and Protestant congregations who felt that alcoholism in America was a serious moral problem and could not be curtailed without help from the government. By 1830, the American population was consuming 7.1 gallons of alcohol per capita on an annual basis; by the early 20th century, there were more bars, taverns, and saloons than there were schools, libraries, or hospitals (Stratton, 2009). While many believed that the Prohibition movement was a noble effort, the 18th Amendment really did nothing to enforce the principles of a "dry" nation. In fact, much like President Nixon's War on Drugs, the Prohibition had quite the opposite of the desired effect and was nearly impossible to enforce. More than that, without the regulation of the ATF to oversee and enforce the standards in the alcohol creation and distillery process, not only illegal but physiologically toxic and contaminated substances like lead and anti-freeze were found in such products as "bath tub gin" and "moonshine" which was manufactured and distilled covertly through car radiators. Another fun fact, the first car engine designed to burn alcohol was created by a "moonshiner" (Shooter, 2011). Prohibition lasted from 1919 until 1933. All beer, wine, and liquor was outlawed and destroyed. Prohibitionists...
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...Arriola Roaring Twenties During the 1920’s there was many ongoing situations which was changing America into modern America. Technology was advancing, different cultures were spreading, arts and music were blooming. After World War I everything called for a change in the nation, which was known as the Roaring Twenties. However, with America advancing laws were being created and discrimination was being a problem. Laws that were being created violated American civil rights, these laws made people break rules and it also increased discrimination. As technology increased so did the consumption of alcohol increased during the 1920’s. Alcohol was consumed by almost everyone, and it was bringing bad effects to America. The 18th amendment was passed, which was known for prohibition, banning every drink that contained alcohol, except medicine that contained alcohol. The law of prohibition violated people’s civil rights, it was forcing people to stop drinking when they have the freedom to do as they please. This led to Americans to breaking more laws which increased organized crime. For example, Americans opened speakeasies, gang members were still producing and transporting alcohol. By passing prohibition people were breaking more laws than when Americans were allowed to consume...
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...“Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes” said by Abraham Lincoln. (patheos.com) “One vigorous clash between small-town and big-town and big city Americans began. In January 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect. This amendment launched the era known as Prohibition, during which the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages were legally prohibited”. (The Americans) Prohibition had both positive and negative effects in the 1920’s. Prohibition had a number of successes. For example, “wife beating and lack of family support decreased 82%, drunkenness decreased 55.3%, assault decreased 53.1%, vagrancy decreased 52.8%, disorderly conduct decreased 51.5%, delinquency decreased 50.0%”. (prohibitionists.org)...
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