Did the Prohibition Era cause a negative or positive outcome for America? Many laws were passed in the early 1900s in America, but one in particular that really stands out was the Prohibition Act. This was a nationwide ban on the production, sale, import and transportation of alcohol, and was started by a movement led by some religious groups and social progressive members of the Democratic and Republican parties. The motive was the attempt to improve public morals, reduce crime and corruption, improve health and hygiene, and reduce the fiscal burden created by prisons and poorhouses. It was mandated by the 18th Amendment of the United States Constitution and remained in effect from 1920 to 1933, when it was repealed. Many historians think that Prohibition had a negative outcome for America, however there are also those who argue that there were many positive aspects as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States Before the introduction of the Prohibition Act, there were some areas of the population (especially those who came from Europe) who had a culture of drinking alcohol. It was feared that with continued immigration, this behavior would intensify and spiral out of control. Large numbers of saloons were opened, and many also incorporated gambling and prostitution. Some religious communities, Christian women's groups, and politicians thought that the use of alcohol was immoral and sinful and wanted to create a reformed society in which people would stop drinking. By taking away the licenses of alcohol producers and places of commerce, through the Prohibition Act, they hoped this would change society. https://prohibition.osu.edu/why-prohibition W...... middle of paper ......consequences of alcohol abuse and how it affects the rest of society. We learned a lot from those fourteen years, and those lessons are important today. They can be applied to the war on drugs we face and the push for less access to alcohol and tobacco. In Mark Thornton of the Cato Institute's article, Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure, he states that, “The evidence supports sound economic theory, which predicts that prohibition of mutually beneficial trade is doomed to failure.” http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure This statement could be an economic theory, but it could also be a theory about human nature. It might explain why this is so, that when humans are forbidden from having something they want (especially by others who feel superior), they will do anything to get it..