After the 18th Amendment was ratified, Americans started the new year of 1920 with the immediate prohibition of alcohol—a constitutional ban on all alcoholic beverages. The 1920s would later earn the name of “the Roaring Twenties” where everyday life was redefined and there was an all-time high of bootlegging. To many Americans, prohibition could not and would not prevent and limit their fun.
When San Franciscans were first informed that the federal government deemed the sale of alcohol illegal, they began to rebel; and despite the law, many of the people continued to sell and consume alcohol through speakeasies, defined as “an illicit liquor store or nightclub.” The people found various ways to fuel their liquor consumption and did whatever it took to do so. Bars were hidden behind different businesses from soda shops to cafes, and sales even continued in hotel basements and underground tunnels.
Liquor came all the way from Canada to the coast of the Bay Area by boats, and ferry boats loaded with shipments of alcohol made their way back and forth from cities like Marin and Sonoma back to the heart of San Francisco. However, places like Napa Valley, with an abundance of grapes vineyards, were still able keep their wine businesses alive because the production of wine for religious purposes was still legal.
Even government officials such as policies and mayors turned a blind eye towards the bootlegging that was very evident in San Francisco. In the summer of 1920, the Democratic National Convention was held in San Francisco where James Cox was nominated to be President with Franklin Roosevelt as the Vice President. James “Sunny Jim” Rolph, Jr. was San Francisco's’ 30th mayor during the DNC, and he went as far as to provide a bottle of whiskey to every delegate attending the convention.
The legalization of alcohol had its immediate effects—though they were not what was predicted, people did not allow the law to restrict their fun and take away alcohol forever. The 18th Amendment would be repealed in 1933 to end national Prohibition.
When San Franciscans were first informed that the federal government deemed the sale of alcohol illegal, they began to rebel; and despite the law, many of the people continued to sell and consume alcohol through speakeasies, defined as “an illicit liquor store or nightclub.” The people found various ways to fuel their liquor consumption and did whatever it took to do so. Bars were hidden behind different businesses from soda shops to cafes, and sales even continued in hotel basements and underground tunnels.
Liquor came all the way from Canada to the coast of the Bay Area by boats, and ferry boats loaded with shipments of alcohol made their way back and forth from cities like Marin and Sonoma back to the heart of San Francisco. However, places like Napa Valley, with an abundance of grapes vineyards, were still able keep their wine businesses alive because the production of wine for religious purposes was still legal.
Even government officials such as policies and mayors turned a blind eye towards the bootlegging that was very evident in San Francisco. In the summer of 1920, the Democratic National Convention was held in San Francisco where James Cox was nominated to be President with Franklin Roosevelt as the Vice President. James “Sunny Jim” Rolph, Jr. was San Francisco's’ 30th mayor during the DNC, and he went as far as to provide a bottle of whiskey to every delegate attending the convention.
The legalization of alcohol had its immediate effects—though they were not what was predicted, people did not allow the law to restrict their fun and take away alcohol forever. The 18th Amendment would be repealed in 1933 to end national Prohibition.
Works Cited
@carlnoltesf. "Prohibition Was Only a Rumor in S.F." SFGate. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
@onlyinsf. "The History of Speakeasies and Where to Get a Throwback Cocktail in San Francisco." San Francisco Travel. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
"Prohibition Enforcement in San Francisco - 1922." Prohibition Enforcement in San Francisco - 1922. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
Great post Julia. I've always enjoyed historical material from this time period and I really like how you talked about it specifically in our homeland of the bay area as many articles discussing speakeasies and prohibition era history tend to talk about things more in the East, so this provides nice contrast.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great and easy read. I liked how you focused on the Bay Area and enjoyed reading that even though the Prohibition act was passed, it did not stop the people from enjoying themselves, and the government officials also ignored the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting article. Your choice to talk about the Bay Area and its immediate surroundings really helps put these kinds of historical events in context. All around great read.
ReplyDelete