On this day, Oct. 28, in 1919, Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, paving the way for Prohibition to begin the following January. The prohibition of alcoholic beverages had unintended consequences. Life in America became more violent, with organized crime and open rebellion against the law. Legitimate businesses were taken over by criminals like Chicago’s Al Capone, who grew rich and popular. Crime and lawlessness rose. Enforcing Prohibition proved to be extremely difficult. Citizens were sympathetic to bootleggers, wealthy gangsters could bribe police with their earnings and some authorities, like the state of Maryland, refused to pay to enforce the issue. Underground speakeasies became so popular that by 1925, New York City had anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs. In Michigan, a raid on Detroit’s Deutsches Haus netted the mayor, the sheriff and the local congressman. Prohibition ended by 1933, when public opposition became overwhelming.
— Scott McCabe
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