Prohibition was the Time to be a Criminal in America

â€Å"Thered never been a more advantageous time to be a criminal in America than during the 13 years of Prohibition. At a stroke, the American government closed down the fifth largest industry in the United States - alcohol production - and just handed it to criminals - a pretty remarkable thing to do† (Bill Bryson). The twenties was a fast paced fun, loving time, the one problem was no alcohol. With the twenties came the rise of jazz, flappers, different fashions, and prohibition. Jazz, flappers, and different fashions made life enjoyable but, prohibition caused the rise of criminals, who saw the demand for alcohol, and the opportunity to make money, by selling it to average people, along with government officials. Noteworthy criminals helped define the roaring twenties by helping everyday citizens break the law. To understand how this defined the decade, it is important to explore how gangsters provided alcohol to citizens, bribed police and government officials, and made criminals popular. Prohibition was a law passed whereby the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcohol was illegal, this gave gangsters and average citizens the opportunity to make easy money, if they did not get caught. The most noteworthy criminal during this time was Al Capone, in Chicago, he bribed g overnment officials, ran bootlegging rackets, prostitution, and gambling dens. Al Capone didnt become a criminal overnight, at a young age he dropped out of school and was welcomed into the localShow MoreRelated absolut Failure Essay1685 Words   |  7 Pages1920’s was a time of major social change in the United States. The social changes during this period are reflected in the laws and regulations that were implemented. One of the most prominent examples of this was prohibition. 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