Oran 1
Prohibition Focused in New York
Edward Oran
History 112-3192
April 27th
Spring Semester 2016
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Prohibition was a time where the consumption, sale, and almost everything alcohol
related was banned in the United States under the eighteenth amendment. This went into effect
January 16, 1920, and lasted about 14 years. New York, which is mentioned as “the nation’s
largest liquor market before Prohibition, [and] retained this distinction throughout the Dry era”
(Lawson 1), and acted as a perfect example to show how illegal liquor was not only bootlegged
into the country, but how surprisingly popular it was and how big of a market there still was for
it. Prohibition also affected members of society such as women in a positive as well as negative
way, especially in a city with as big a volume as New York City. And, because it lasted through
the beginning of the 1930’s it stuck around long enough to see the great depression which took
place during that same time. This ultimately helped redirect society’s focus of prohibition to the
devastating fact that upwards of 20% of the country was unemployed.
Getting alcohol into the country now that was the hard part, unless you already had some.
When prohibition passed, it became illegal to move alcohol across the boarders and into the
country. It is noted though that some wealthier citizens had storages, large storages at that. But,
just like anything else nothing lasts forever. So, to fuel this luscious city what exactly did it take?
Well, author Ellen NicKenzie Lawson paints a pretty good picture in her book Smugglers,
Bootleggers, and Scofflaws: New York City and Prohibition when she describes how illegal
booze is shipped to the 118 miles of Long Island’s shores, otherwise known as rum row. Lawson
mentions that boats couldn’t get to the shore so they dropped them off to smaller boats in the
water, which were apparently local contact ship and smugglers because it was quite possible that
they knew the fastest routes to the shore, and could out run the coast guard. Once on shore, it was
still a mission to get the illegal booze to a safe location.
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This involved convoys of trucks driving along highways, still full of illegal booze mind
you, and still having to look out for police who might be on the search. Apparently it was hit or
miss with bribery, and it was possible that local police could have been paid off. Author Lawson
