Prohibition:A Battle For A Dry Utopia

In American history,there had been a great many social reforms in the pursuit of social justice and ideals,the Prohibition Movement was just one of them,which reflected the typical characteristics of Americanized social reform.The movement began at the beginning of the 19th century,and ended in the 30s of the 20^th century,covering a span of over a century,all social classes were involved in it.The movement disclosed a feature of long duration,large scale and profound influence.The passage of the 18 Amendment marked the peak of the Prohibition Movement,since then the nation-wide prohibition commenced.Thirteen years later,the 21th Amendment replaced the 18th Amendment,the lasting Prohibition Movement punctuated a full stop,and the power of alcohol regulation was passed from federal to state and local governments.The aim of this paper is to help readers decide the complicated social conflicts of the period,to have an insight to the function and role of various social reforms in American society to find some general rules of American social reform movements.The first chapter is majorly about the roots of the Prohibition Movement.It elaborates on how the Temperance Movement sprouted in the colonial era and eventually developed into the more organized Prohibition Movement.It also analyzes the religious motivation of the movement and the passage of the 18th amendment.Chapter 2 concentrates on the defiance of the prohibition.After the 18^th amendment went into effect,moonshines and speakeasies emerged.Meanwhile,the organized crime became rampant.Chapter three focus on the contribution women made and the role they played during the Prohibition Movement.The focus of Chapter four is on the repeal of the Prohibition.The emphasis is laid on the passage of the 21th amendment.The last part is the conclusion of the whole paper.The success and failure of the Prohibition Movement is not accidental.It is the result of the development of American society.Prohibition of alcohol is an attempt for all social strata to re-locate themselves in the course of social upheaval.It also reflects idealism pursued by American people in the process of social reform which can explain the decline of the Prohibition Movement.The practice of using legislative and administrative measures to regulate ethical issues not only impractical,but also lead to greater social problems.