Katherine Garcia
AMH 2010
Miro
6 July 2018
On January 16, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was authorized and one year later when into effect. The Eighteenth Amendment officially prohibited the production, movement/trade, and the sale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. This started what was known was the Prohibition Era in the United States. The ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment was heavily influenced by the Temperance Movement. During the 1820s and 30s, many people wanted to revive religious views and urged groups to form in rebellions towards alcohol who viewed alcohol as a “national curse” (Staff, History.com 2010). The first action of the Temperance Movement occurred in Massachusetts in 1938 when a law was passed making the sale of alcohol less than 15 gallons illegal. The law was repealed two years later, however in 1846, Maine was the first state to pass a prohibition law which led other states to follow. When the Civil War commenced, a number of states had passed prohibitions laws.
During the Prohibition Era, since the sale and manufacture/production of alcohol was prohibited, many citizens began to make and sell it illegally, otherwise known as “bootlegging.” One of the most significant effects Prohibition had on America was the danger it brought to the population. As the act of “bootlegging” increased and reached a large scale, it was moved underground and controlled by notorious gangs and the Mafia. One example of this is the famously known gangster Al Capone who estimated an earning of $60 million from bootlegging annually (Staff, History.com 2010). One of the biggest factors that put an end to the Prohibition Era was the Great Depression. While the country was facing one of the most significant hardships, the government could not overlook the profit, tax revenue, and jobs created by legalizing the production and consumption of alcohol (Academy n.d.). The Twenty-first Amendment was created to replace the Eighteenth Amendment and was ratified on December 5, 1933 which ended the outlaw on the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol in the United States.
The film Lawless, based on the novel The Wettest County in the World, is based on the true story of the three Bondurant brothers in Franklin County, Virginia during the Prohibition Era who turned to the bootlegging business and face several battles. Forrest Bondurant is played by Tom Hardy who is seen as the “violent and impassive” brother, Jason Clarke is the actor behind the character Howard Bondurant who is a “crazy hillbilly” brother, and Shia LaBeouf is behind the last brother, Jack Bondurant, who is “nervy and quick-witted” and aims to prove he is worthy (Bradshaw 2012). The brothers begin to face hardships when a local federal lawman, Special Agent Rakes, interferes in the town’s moonshine illegal business. Due to the brothers refusing to abide to the rules, a war soon begins between the two sides that leads to violence, car chases, and death. When Jack falls in love with the preacher’s daughter, Bertha, he commits the mistake of taking her to their distillation center for the moonshine. While showing Bertha the distillation center, the two were attacked and ambushed by Rakes and his employees. They were able to flee from the battle however Rakes and his men murder Jack’s best friend, Cricket, which leads Jack to wanting revenge on Rakes. The film ends with a massive fight between the two sides which leads to triumph for the Bondurant brothers while having wounds. This scene between the federal forces and the brothers is the most significant because it truly highlights how law enforcement enforced the eighteenth amendment and how it affected the people of Franklin County. The Bondurant brothers decided to retire when the Prohibition Era comes to an end and the film finishes with Forrest dancing on a frozen lake and falling into the water causing him to die from pneumonia despite surviving all the gun fights and battles during the Prohibition Era.
This movie helped shaped the way I understand the Prohibition Era and how it affected the Americans living through that time period. In the film Lawless, it is clearly portrayed how dangerous and terrifying it was to live through that era especially with bootlegging and mobsters that ultimately led to crime and misfortunes. An example of the battles these Americans faced is Matt Bondurant whose grandfather was Jack Bondurant. He states, “my grandfather and his brothers Forrest and Howard, “The Bondurant Boys,” were described as a notorious group with a dangerous reputation. My grandfather was still alive then, and when my dad confronted him about the shooting he merely lifted his shirt to show the bullet hole. That was it. I was living across the country at the time and didn’t have a chance to question him further. He died the next year at 91 years old.” This shows how the true story of the Bondurant brothers not only affected that era but also generations to come and how their legacy lives within America. Many Americans lived in fear of what would come next during this dangerous time like Matt Bondurant who questions what could have happened further between him and his grandfather had the Prohibition Era had not been so dangerous and impactful. While most Americans simply learn about the Prohibition Era as a simply lesson in grade school and paid no mind to it, this film truly brings out the effects it had on the county, the community, and how it affected families personally. It allows the audience to gain more knowledge on the topic and receive a further understanding on how the ban on manufacturing, selling, and consuming alcohol made its mark on America today.