Chicago during the 1920's
Moral crusaders advocating prohibition
The roaring 20's were a time of violence, but happiness for the city of Chicago. Gangs worked underground to provide criminal services including distributing alcohol, which had been made illegal due to the temperance movement. It was also referred to as the prohibition era.
Chicago's Reaction to the Prohibition
Al Capone
The most significant point of interest in Chicago's 20's history was the effect of the prohibition era. Prohibition was also referred to as the temperance movement, centering around the banning of all alcohol from the United States. This movement was initiated by moral crusaders, people who believed that alcohol was to blame for a large portion of domestic violence. They were able to pass an amendment to the constitution prohibiting the sale of liquor and other alcoholic beverages. However, this did not help the problem, but only made it worse, especially in Chicago.
The introduction of prohibition did not stop Americans from drinking. All it did was make it illegal. Bootleggers were able sell illegal liquor through speakeasies, which were located throughout the country. Most of this activity in Chicago was overseen by gangs, led by wealthy men who controlled most of the organized crime in the city. The two major gangs of Chicago were the North Side gang, mostly Irish, and the South Side gang, comprised mainly of Italians.
Due to increasing amounts of domestic violence, mostly due to Al Capone's "Valentine's Day Massacre" which ended in the deaths of many of the North Side gang, public opinion about gangster activity dropped in 1929.
The introduction of prohibition did not stop Americans from drinking. All it did was make it illegal. Bootleggers were able sell illegal liquor through speakeasies, which were located throughout the country. Most of this activity in Chicago was overseen by gangs, led by wealthy men who controlled most of the organized crime in the city. The two major gangs of Chicago were the North Side gang, mostly Irish, and the South Side gang, comprised mainly of Italians.
Due to increasing amounts of domestic violence, mostly due to Al Capone's "Valentine's Day Massacre" which ended in the deaths of many of the North Side gang, public opinion about gangster activity dropped in 1929.
1920's Economy and Entertainment
The economy as well as the entertainment flourished in the 1920's. The quality of life was greater than ever before during the Prohibition Era. The work week had been scaled back by about 10 hours in comparison to the much longer hours of 1914 and prior. Couples and others had much more time to do recreational activities. In Chicago, dance halls boomed and a new interest in musical entertainment began to take hold. New dance styles such as the Charleston became popular, and radio became one of the primary methods of getting news and listening to dramas and comedies. With innovation and heavy spending came a strong economy, which reached its peak during this era. However, the good times would not last, as the perfect storm threatened to cause a cataclysm that would shake the stability of the nation and its economy: the Great Depression.