Anti-intoxication NationProhibition in the 1920s
Definition of Prohibition Prohibition of alcohol
is banning the making, movement and sale of alcohol
Spanned for as much as 48 years in PEI
Quebec never passed prohibition legislation
Prohibition in CanadaProvince Year
StartedYear
EndedPEI 1900 1948NS 1910 1930ON 1916 1927MB 1916 1923AB 1916 1924NB 1917 1927SK 1917 1925YK 1917 1920BC 1917 1921QC No Prohibition
Canadian Laws on Liquor Canadian laws on liquor split the
responsibilities between the federal and provincial governments
The Federal government controlled: The manufacturing of alcohol The importation of alcohol The exporting of alcohol
Provincial governments controlled: Drinking age Sales of alcohol Consumption of alcohol
Problems with Drunks Many men would
waste their pay checks on alcohol
Drunkenness also led to crime and unsafe driving
Many people felt that the grain used to make alcohol should have been sent to the soldiers in the trenches
The Temperance Movement The temperance
movement arose in the early 20th century
Its aim was to ban alcohol because they thought it was responsible for many of society’s problems
Religious groups and many women who had just received the right to vote formed temperance groups
Aims of Prohibition Prohibition aimed
to: Lower crime rates Lessen instances of
child and wife abuse
Cause men to become better providers
Assist the war effort
Early Success Prohibition had a
promising start: Alcohol
consumption lowered by 80%
Crime rates decreased
Fewer cases of abuse
Men provided for their families, took less days off work
The Downfall of Dryness Soon arose:
Moonshine Bootleggers Speakeasies/Blind
Pigs Organised crime
led to rich criminals and poorer provinces
Lost freedom
Famous Bootleggers: Al Capone Most famous
bootlegger ever Boss of Chicago
Outfit Seen in Moose Jaw,
Sask. from time to time “I don’t even know what
street Canada is on” Convicted for tax
evasion: 11 years in Alcatraz
Famous Bootleggers: Bronfman Brothers
Two Jewish immigrants form Montreal saw opportunity in the U.S. prohibition in 1924
Smuggled liquor into the U.S. and became rich under the alias “Mr. Norton”
Four years later they owned the largest distillery in the world
Famous Bootleggers: SS I’m Alone Canadian rum-
running ship, built in Britain
Smuggling liquor form Belize to Louisiana
Sank by US Coast Guard, pursued from 321 km
What we learned We learned that
when legislating the prohibition of alcohol, without enormous enforcement, its effectiveness becomes very limited over time.
Effec
tive
ness
Time
Dry towns in Canada Govenlock, Saskatchewan, now a ghost town Old Crow, Yukon is a dry Gwich‘in community on the
Porcupine River The city of Owen Sound, Ontario continued to outlaw
liquor well into the 1970s Steinbach, Manitoba did not allow the sale of liquor
within city limits until 2011 Verdun, Quebec only recently ended a 45-year ban on
bars and taverns in the community, in December 2010
Picture Citations http://www.prairieghosts.com/capone6.jpg (Joel) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TFRk-MtsMew/S88DZ_R_DlI/AAAAAA
AAAvc/99ETZIb0u_Q/s1600/3c23257v.jpg (Aaren)
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/ja10/timeline/history-canada-us-border-smuggling.html (Joel)
http://old-photos.blogspot.ca/2008/09/temperance-movement.html (Aaren)
http://www.gcsehistory.org.uk/modernworld/usa/prohibitionandgangsters.htm (Aaren)
http://pendletonpanther.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/bringing-home-the-bacon/ (Aaren)
http://thegreatjaygatsby.blogspot.ca/2010/05/1920s-gangsters.html (Joel)
Info Citations Canada: Face of a Nation, Textbook (Aaren and Joel) http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/ja10/timeli
ne/history-canada-us-border-smuggling.html (Joel)
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/prohibition (Aaren)
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/temperance-movement (Aaren)
FIN