In 1914, the United States of America entered World War I. During that period many of the resources produced in America and needed for the war were strictly dedicated to the troops rather than to the consumers. During America's involvement in World War I, Congress passed a “war ban” that prevented farmers from selling wheat and corn for alcohol production because they were needed for the war. In 1917, when the war ended and the soldiers returned home, the “war ban” became a permanent ban. Congress created and added the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution; it was ratified in 1919 and went into effect in 1920, thus beginning the period of Prohibition in America. (A Brief History of Prohibition, 1) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The impact of Prohibition on the lives of Americans was beneficial to the country as a whole during the time period and even after the time period ended and the 18th Amendment was repealed. Prohibition, unfortunately, was also very bad for the country during the years of his mandate and caused many problems for the country as a whole. When this was first ratified, alcohol consumption levels in the country decreased from pre-Prohibition levels; as the years went by they went up again and the status of the country and the behavior of the people towards the movement were not good. The economy has changed and suffered dramatically. The final years of Prohibition were when organized crime really emerged, people started drinking more, and a new generation of Americans didn't respect the law. Prohibition was an idea well before the ratification of the 18th Amendment. Prohibition thinking dates back to the 1800s; in 1893 the Anti-Saloon League was created. The Anti-Saloon League was formed in Ohio and the main goal was to close down saloons, believing that closing down places to drink and purchase alcohol would reduce people's drinking. The creators and members of the Anti-Saloon League thought that American society was in decline due to continued alcohol consumption; they believed that people were losing touch with their religious values. (Anti-Saloon League of America, 1) Why did we go through with Prohibition? Government leaders were very alarmed by Americans' drinking behavior and were concerned that the drinking culture was becoming too big for a developing world power. Prohibition leaders thought that once businesses were officially stripped of their liquor licenses and not allowed to sell alcohol, churches and reform groups would finally have an opportunity to convince Americans to stop drinking. (Why Prohibition?, 1) The economy during Prohibition, initially the effects were largely negative. Once Prohibition began, economists expected that sales of clothing and household goods would skyrocket; Property owners expected rents to rise as all the saloons closed and neighborhoods improved. Soft drink and chewing gum companies also anticipated massive growth after 1920; theaters also accepted that new crowds were coming in and that people were more attracted to coming to them because Americans were looking for new ways to entertain themselves without alcohol. None of this was true. (Lerner, 1) Restaurants began to fail because they could no longer serve alcohol on the premises and were not making much money due to the lack of alcohol. The breweries went out of businessvery quickly also simply because they no longer had anything to produce, sell and transport. This led to the loss and elimination of thousands of jobs, including barrel makers, truck drivers, waiters, etc., there was no longer any need for them. One of the largest effects on the economy during this period was on the government's tax revenues. Before Prohibition, many states relied on liquor sales taxes to fund budgets. For example, in New York, nearly 75 percent of state revenue came from alcohol taxes; When Prohibition came into force, everything was lost. Nationally, Prohibition cost the federal government a total of $11 billion in lost tax revenue, while enforcement cost the country over $300 million. (Lerner, 1) During this period of time there was an increasing lack of respect for the law. People who owned or worked in businesses that served alcohol had to find new jobs or decide they were criminals in the eyes of the government and continue serving alcohol. Americans didn't know how to handle such a dramatic change in a very short period of time. They didn't want to be out of work and lose their family and home. Most saloon owners who still wanted to stay open and make money went into hiding, these are known as speakeasies. Speakeasies are a term coined during the Prohibition period and were underground bars where you could go to consume alcohol. Usually these speakeasies were underneath an actual saloon; The saloon would remain open as normal but no liquor would be served. A person might approach a worker and say a certain word or code that would let him know that he would like to be directed to the bar, usually in the basement, attic, or upper/lower room of the plant. the Prohibition Era, 1) Prohibition brought in the Jazz Age; within these speakeasies there were jazz musicians playing the newly recognized sound and women dancing for entertainment. This is one of the first times in American history that “ordinary” women were easily welcomed into these establishments. This period also opened a new look for women; the “jazz age” loosened customs. The “flapper” is born; the “flapper” was a woman with very short hair, which was uncommon in that period, short skirts, powdered faces, bright red lips, bare arms and legs, who dared to smoke cigarettes and drink cocktails. Women who were "flappers" were usually considered the "normal" woman; wealthy women despised these “normal” women and called them rebels because they wanted to go out dressed the way they dressed and “acted” the way they did. This "flapper" look had a huge impact on American culture during this time period. (Speakeasies of the Prohibition Era, 2) Once the Prohibition era began for Americans, many more speakeasies were created and organized crime was at an all time high. . Organized crime, such as gangs and crime syndicates, was not created during the Prohibition era, it rose to power through saloons, gambling houses and brothels. Murders and robberies also increased greatly during this period. (Sinclair, 221) These gangs and criminals smuggled and sold alcohol illegally throughout the country. People who were losing their jobs due to Prohibition joined gangs so they could earn money to support their family, even though this put them and their family in danger, Americans were desperate for work. The most famous gang is the Torrio gang from Chicago. John Torrio and Jim Colosimo created this gang in Chicago,.