Prohibition

Mr. Marscher

Social Studies

Jmarsc@wboro.org

http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/media_during_prohibition_final.html

Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.”

-Will Rogers

Introduction

In 1919, the ratification of the 18^th amendment resulted in a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. From 1920-1933, the United States began its “Noble Experiment.” Like many trial runs, the Prohibition experiment resulted in many consequences for the nation. You might be wondering, “What were these so-called consequences?” Well, you are about to find out!

Task

The Oneida County Historical Society has hired your team of historians to investigate the issues surrounding the Prohibition Era in the United States. In particular, you will research the consequences (positive and/or negative) that arose from the ratification of the 18^th Amendment and the passage of the Volstead Act. Using internet resources, your team will create a virtual museum exhibit designed to educate the general public. You will present your findings to your classmates.

1. Use the internet to gather relevant information related to the problems leading to Prohibition and the issues created by this change.

2. Organize research to create a virtual museum exhibit on the Prohibition Era (use the PowerPoint template presented in class to arrange your findings).

3. Present a guided tour of the exhibit to classmates.

Process

You will follow the 4-step American History Public Policy Analyst Process discussed in class to complete your project. You will use the Internet RESOURCES, in the RESOURCES section below along with written text {newspapers, magazines, periodicals} to complete the WORKSHEETS under each step of the PPA.

Read each web page carefully. Read each worksheet and determine what information is needed to complete the PPA step.

You will then complete the PPA worksheets linked at the bottom of each step.

You will use these worksheets and resource material to complete your museum exhibit and oral presentation. Your report and oral presentation must have information from ALL of the PPA steps. Now click on the links and begin.

Step 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: Gather Evidence

Step 3: Determine Causes

Step 4: Evaluate the Policy

Resources

http://library.thinkquest.org/28892/prohibition/how/effect.htm

General overview of Prohibition

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1054.html

(reasons)

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1124913901.html

(Temperance movement)

http://chicagotheroarin20s.tripod.com/the1920s.html

Chicago in the 1920s

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/prohibition_era_19201933/index.html

(New York Times articles on Prohibition)

http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/18th_amendment_final.html

(18^th amendment)

http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final.html

(Organized crime and prohibition)

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=441

(Prohibition)

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/073_dry.html

(The Dry Years- Selected Images Relating to Prohibition from the Collections of the Library of Congress)

http://wings.buffalo.edu/aru/preprohibition.htm

(pre prohibition and drug usage)

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Prohibition/prohibition-index.htm

(Prohibition cartoons, flyers, posters, and photographs)

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-051/

Wisconsin historical society Brewing and Prohibition

http://prohibition.osu.edu/

(Temperance and Prohibition through Ohio State University)

http://dl.lib.brown.edu/temperance/index.html

(Alcohol, Temperance, and Prohibition)

http://www.vintageperiods.com/prohibition.php

Prohibition: Moonshine, bootleggers, and speakeasies

http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00492/Speakeasies.htm

Prohibition vocabulary

http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/prohibition2.htm

(How Prohibition worked)

http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/stories/0701_0125.html

(The Noble Experiment)

http://library.thinkquest.org/28892/prohibition/how/effect.htm

(Effects of Prohibition)

http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/prohibition4.htm

(Effects of Prohibit

Possible Search terms:

• 18th Amendment
• Speakeasies
• Bootlegging
• Moonshine
• Volstead Act
• Prohibition and organized crime
• Mafia
• Chicago
• Al Capone
• Dutch Schultz
• St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
• WCTU: Woman's Christian Temperance Union/Anti-saloon League
• 21st Amendment

Evaluation

Grade Checklist:

1. Virtual Museum Creation = 60 points

o One-page overview of the causes and effects of Prohibition (10 points)

o One-page biography and picture of a key Prohibition figure (10 points)

o 5 primary sources and one paragraph explanation for each (25 points)

o Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation (5 points)

o Followed instructions (10 points)

2. Group presentation/ “Guided Tour” = 40 points

o Participation of all members (15 points)

o All “rooms” thoroughly presented (15 points)

o Enthusiasm, clarity, and knowledge of topic (10 points)

Conclusion

By completing this WebQuest, you will have examined the causes and effects of Prohibition in America. You also used this knowledge to create and present a virtual museum exhibit of the Prohibition era.

New York State Learning Standard 1

History of the United States and New York

Students use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

New York State Learning Standard 5

Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.