Name:

Prohibition Video A Nation of Scofflaws

1. Which movement of the era was credited with pushing and accomplishing the passage
of the 18th Amendment?

2. Even if you create a law, as the US government did with the 18th Amendment, what
problem is the government still left with? What was the Volstead Act?

3. Why were some Americans supportive of Prohibition?

4. Why did some Americans choose to continue drinking despite Prohibition? What are
some ways they got around the law?

5. Why did organize crime grow in power during Prohibition?

6. Next, now consider the following statistics:

Alcohol consumption declined dramatically during Prohibition
Cirrhosis death rates for men were 29.5 per 100,000 in 1911 and 10.7 in 1929.
Admissions to state mental hospitals for alcoholic psychosis declined from 10.1
per 100,000 in 1919 to 4.7 in 1928.
Arrests for public drunkennness and disorderly conduct declined 50 percent
between 1916 and 1922.
For the population as a whole, the best estimates are that consumption of alcohol
declined by 30 percent to 50 percent.
Stats provided by Mark H. Moore; Mark H. Moore is professor of criminal justice at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

In what ways could Prohibition be considered a success?

7. Overall, do you think Prohibition was something beneficial or harmful for the country?
Why? Do you think the lessons of Prohibition can be carried over to the issue of drug
prohibition today?

8. Ultimately, what would happen to Prohibition? Which Amendment would do that?

Post-Video Questions
In what ways did the period of Prohibition divide the United States as a nation?

Select one of the possible answers below to the question Why did Prohibition fail?
NOW GIVE SUPPORTING DETAILS FOR YOUR ARGUMENT.
- Some argue that Prohibition failed because it is ineffective to try to
legislate morality.
- Some argue that Prohibition failed simply because of poor enforcement
and national character.
- Others argue that Prohibition failed because the law itself did not reflect
the will of the people and that is why it failed.

Do you think it is possible, or even preferable, to try to legislate morality?

Is there some sort of middle ground that can be found when trying to legislate morality?
How can this middle ground be found?

Are there any contemporary issues today that follow closely to the debates regarding
prohibition?

Video Watching Schedule for a skinny.

Day 1
Disc 2 A Nation of Scofflaws
Episode 1 A Nation of Scofflaws (about 20 minutes)
Episode 10 The Goons (about 15 minutes)

Day 2
Disc 3 A Nation of Hypocrites
Episode 3 Beer Wars (about 15-20 minutes)
Episodes Last Two Bottom of the Barrel and the Amber Flood

Day 3 Discussion
Discussion Questions

If pressed for time, just watch Nation of Scofflaws (Disc 2) and the Beer Wars (Disc 3)