Presentation Project

Three Topics: Al Capone, 18^th 21^st Amendments, Y.M.C.A

The Eighteenth Amendment was adopted in 1917 and ratified two years later on January 1919. The Eighteenth Amendment dealt the prohibition of Alcohol, specifically the manufacture and sale of the intoxicating substance. Late January 1920, the Volstead Act was passed to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment. The Volstead Act stated that a beverage is considered intoxicating if it contained more than .5% of Alcohol. This was very difficult for people who had made alcohol a part of their lives before the ratification. One person, widely known as Al Capone, saw the Eighteenth Amendment as an easy way to make lots of money through bootlegging. Organized crime began developing nationwide. This lead to the national government ratifying the 21^st amendment which repealed the prohibition. I believe this would make a great presentation because it was one of the worst experiences preceding The Great Depression. I think it is something worth learning about as it is one of the few major mistakes the government has made.