79-327 Making America Dry: A History of Prohibition, 1920-1933

6 units, Carnegie Mellon University

For over a decade in the 1920s and 1930s it was illegal for Americans to sell, purchase, or consume alcohol. Liquor, via the Volstead Act 1919 and the 20th Amendment, became the focal point of deepseeded cultural conflict rural versus urban religion and morality racial equality womens suffrage police and political corruption and the fair administration of justice, to name just a few. By the end of the semester, you will better understand the longlasting social, economic, and political ramifications of prohibition a legacy that we still grapple with today especially in Pennsylvania In this discussionbased lecture, you will be able to share your thoughts on the history that we cover as well as connect it to contemporary issues. You will write three short essays as well as complete a few primary source analyses to engage with history as well as demonstrate what you have learned. By the end of the course, you will better appreciate that when America went dry during the Roaring Twenties, it was about much more than alcohol.

Prerequisites: none listed

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