Who supported or opposed Prohibition, and why?
In 1919, Americans ratified the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment stated that one year after its adoption, manufacturing or selling alcoholic beverages would be prohibited. Prohibition was supported by many conservative Christians and rural Americans, who considered drinking evil. They associated alcohol with cities and immigrants. Prohibition remained in effect throughout this prosperous decade, but it did not have the effect that its proponents had sought. While drinking did decline, many Americans continued to manufacture, sell, and consume alcohol. "Moonshiners" made alcohol in homemade stills, while illegal taverns called "speakeasies" operated in many cities.
Because they had to break the law in order to obtain alcohol, many Americans lost respect for the law due to Prohibition. Criminals (including, most notoriously, Chicago gangster Al Capone) made a fortune selling illegal liquor. Organized crime received a big boost from Prohibition. Thus, Prohibition not only failed, but in some sense, backfired. For this reason, this policy was ended in 1933.