Prohibitionists Many Motives example essay topic

2/23/05 Prohibition Prohibition The success of the prohibition movement can be seen from many different views. It was measured by the prohibitionists many motives, their social make-up, their creative reasons they came up with to promote their cause, and the positive outcomes they imagined possible by prohibiting alcohol consumption. The prohibitionists had several motives for letting loose their concern of alcohol. The main issue discussed, using the example of the average middle-class citizen, was the aspect of growing children and the effect of alcohol on the family. Facts show that children with parents that have major drinking problems are more "defective" than children with parents that have little to no alcohol trouble (doc.

B). Also, more generally, the prohibitionists tried vigorously to directly relate prohibition to progressivism. This was one of their key tactics to their eventually success with the 18th. The movement had strong backup that showed the world that they weren't just a group of extremists fighting for a cause that probably wouldn't work. Their emphasis on fact and reason kept them afloat; this is shown (in doc. C) with the statements of the American Medical Association, mentioning that they specifically discourage the use of alcohol, and it is said as "detrimental to the human economy".

The prohibitionists included many different people, including most women and some men. The ones involved in this were mostly religious. The reason for this is because it was very easy way to grab the attention of other religious people by mentioning alcohol as something God didn't want (doc. I). By doing this, you have the worshipers on your side.

This was quite effective, given the ratio of religious people to non-religious people during this time period. Through time, the prohibition movement gained more followers from a wider variety of backgrounds. With their ways of luring the different types of people in, they gain understanding from that particular group, and therefore getting more of those on your side. This is generally how the prohibition movement gained power over time. As previously mentioned, the prohibitionists had many creative ways of grabbing the attention of these different people. The way they related their cause directly to progressivism wasn't too hard; and luckily, it was easy to base it all on fact.

By mentioning everything bad alcohol can do to someone, it is easy to bring about the statement that a sober society is the best way to progress. As mentioned in document E, prohibition was stated as "a theory of proper social life". This is a perfect example of how these people manipulated America's majority to pass this 18th amendment. They also related prohibition to city life, by saying that saloons interfere with industrial life and working (doc. D). Saloons are mentioned as a bad wall separating men from work, and should be taken out of the industrial picture.

The prohibitionists didn't just mention the bad things about alcohol that should be destroyed; another key focus of theirs was showing the good possibilities of ridding the nation of alcohol ization. In document M, the maps shown are probably what the prohibitionists had in mind for America. By 1917, with all those states declared sober, that was probably a point where they were all thinking, "See? That wasn't so bad. Let's keep it this way". Unfortunately for them, they had too much opposition to hold their ground for long.

"If sixty percent of the people do not believe in something that the other forty percent believe in, should they send the forty percent to jail?" (doc. H) This statement smartly puts that America couldn't possibly stay this way, or else 40% of Americans would be jailed. People are going to drink, that's just the way it is; prohibition had many good motives, and anyone could argue about why it should take place, but the fact is that it can't last because of the way Americans are. The prohibitionists came a long way and were successful for a moment, but reality had to show its face to them.

However, the reasons for what led the way were strong, and they did a good job of gaining followers and believers in a sober nation in creative ways. The prohibition movement had a good cause and was inevitable, because there are many dangers to alcohol, and people were bound to speak out against it..