Starting with the early temperance movement and culminating in the passage of the 18th Amendment, this course examines the origins and implementation of Prohibition in the United States. It explores how Americans adjusted to laws that prohibited the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol, with particular attention to the lesser-known aspects of the era. Topics include alcohol smuggling, the rise of organized crime, the clandestine locations where people continued to drink, and the technological innovations that emerged to sustain illegal alcohol production and distribution. The course concludes with an examination of the political and social forces that led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment. This dynamic and densely packed period of history is often oversimplified as an era of prosperity, but it reveals a far more complex and compelling story.
Marc Sommerville has a master's degree in American history from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor's degree in physical education from Towson University. Writing his master's thesis about the prohibition era and the technology that helped shape the era. He is a father of four kids and a former coach for track and football.
This class is provided courtesy of Frederick Community College - Institute for Learning in Retirement.