History, Social Factors and Economic Impac of the...

This current paper will examine the history, social factors, and economic impact of the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (2011) delve into the topic of alcohol in America in their documentary Prohibition, and this paper will discuss the events before, during, and after the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. This paper will also relate the prohibition of alcohol to the current drug policies of cocaine in the United States. Alcohol and cocaine were both prohibited in the United States in the early 1900’s. Cocaine was used as an anesthesia and medication in the early days of America until the drug was abused, and the legislature of the day deemed cocaine a dangerous drug. Americans would†¦show more content†¦She would protest by praying outside of many pharmacies and saloons all over the country getting some to close down, prohibit the sale of alcohol, or promise not to fill the prescriptions of alcohol from doctors, b ut in time the men would open the saloons back up and drink again. Francis E. Willard would soon become the leader of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), and would form a worldwide version of this organization. Willard would be extremely well known in America, and she was a pioneer in the women’s suffrage movement much like Susan B. Anthony. Willard’s contributions to the temperance movement were significant, and she named Mary Hanchett Hunt in charge of educating America’s youth about the degradation of alcohol (Burns Novick, 2011). Hunt influenced textbook publishers to let the WCTU’s message be heard in the public school system. Hunt’s efforts were in good practice, and the public school system would start using terribly fictitious propaganda against alcohol as part of the education program (Burns Novick, 2011). All of the women mentioned previously were pioneers of women’s rights and of the temperance movement. The men of the time also had advocates of temperance such as Wayne Bidwell Wheeler who had surpassed the women’s temperance movement with the