The legacy of Prohibition is one of failure. Instead of making a more sober America, it weakened the nation’s respect for the rule of law, enabled the expansion of organized crime, and turned city streets into battlefields.
But it was also an era of great consequence, prompting federal criminal law enforcement and the expansion of the U.S. prison system. See how it shaped the course of the 20th century and how its impact still reverberates to this day.
