Prohibition was a 14 year period in the United States in which Transporting, selling, and making liquor was illegal in the United States. Prohibition was implemented because of the increased drinking after the American Revolution. Organizations were formed trying to combat this with the intent of teaching people moderation, but their goal shifted into banning alcohol, leading to the prohibition. The prohibition was caused by a political event, having a negative stigma of drinking as well as the 18th amendment being passed
The effect of Prohibition was it roped the average middle and upperclassmen into other illegal activities. Because of Prohibition, alcohol became more expensive but the middle and upper class could afford it. These Middle/upper class people would have to go to speakeasies to get alcohol. When they would go to speakeasies they were breaking the law, and other illegal activities such as gambling and prostitution seemed less outlandish to them because they were already breaking the law and these activities occurred regularly in speakeasies. Also the amount of consumption was barely lowered, as during the end of prohibition the alcohol consumption was almost identical to what it was before prohibition. Economically, prohibition hurt the government by removing a large role in taxes, and increased government spending in jails and other, spreading the government thin economically. Overall people still drank, the government lost money, and the money was shot up to the leaders of organized crime.
Wayne Bidwell Wheeler was an important figure during the prohibition. He was an advocate for prohibition and a member of the Anti saloon league.He was a lawyer who was primarily responsible for passing the 18th amendment, starting the prohibition. The Anti Saloon League started as a single man, him but blew up to be recognized in all of the states. The largest impact made by the Anti Saloon League was poisoning as much of the drinkable alcohol as they could, which was responsible for over 50,000 deaths