To what extent did Mabel Walker Willebrandt take in reforming society during the 1920s?
Photograph of Prohibition Agents Destroying Bar- Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1923-1940, The U.S. National Archives, July 24th, 2025
Prohibition in 1920s America
The Temperance movement was a social and political effort to reduce alcohol consumption in America. The reason for this was due to the concerns circulating around the social and economic consequences of alcohol consumption. On October 28th, 1919, congress had passed the Volstead Act (National Prohibition Act) which primarily enforced the eighteenth amendment. This act set rules for enforcing the ban on alcohol as well as the types of alcoholic beverages to be prohibited. Following the Temperance movement and the eighteenth amendment, the Prohibition Era occurred. This was a period from 1920-1933 that enforced the legal prevention of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. Despite this, millions of Americans still wanted to drink alcohol. This led to the rise in bootleggers which were those who engaged in the illegal consumption, sale, and transport of alcohol, as well as speakeasies, bars that operated illegally during this time period.
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