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Prohibition

Prohibition. The Age of Rum Running and Gangsters. Definitions. Prohibition – the banning of the manufacturing, sale and consumption of alcohol. “wet” – an establishment or county that allows alcohol “dry” – an establishment or county where alcohol is not served or is prohibited.

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Prohibition

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  1. Prohibition The Age of Rum Running and Gangsters.

  2. Definitions Prohibition – the banning of the manufacturing, sale and consumption of alcohol. “wet” – an establishment or county that allows alcohol “dry” – an establishment or county where alcohol is not served or is prohibited.

  3. How it all began • The manufacture and sale of alcohol was banned in Canada due to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union • Argued alcohol caused poverty, criminal activity, absenteeism from work, and violence in the home

  4. How it all began • WWI helped achieve prohibition nationally • Sympathy for soldiers who were not able to enjoy a drink with friends • Ingredients were needed to feed the troops

  5. So it began… • Between 1915-1917 every province, except Quebec, outlawed alcohol • This resulted in a drop in crime rate and poverty and an increase in business activity

  6. But there were lots of loop holes… • Those with money could still purchase illegal bathtub gin • Doctors could still prescribe alcohol for patients

  7. And… • Prohibition was not popular among voters and returning veterans

  8. In the USA… • Alcohol was banned in 1920 – Called the Volstead Act • Prohibition lasted until 1933

  9. In the In the USA… • Canada now had a golden opportunity to supply the USA with illegal liquor • The legalization of liquor in Canada and the prohibition of alcohol in the USA created a huge smuggling industry in the 1920’s

  10. Rum Running... • Some smuggling was small scale: • Individual smugglers used special clothing to hide bottles under

  11. Rum Running... • Some were large scale: • Ships from the Maritimes • Speed boats from Ontario

  12. Rum Running... • Cars and trucks in the prairies • Salmon trawlers in BC

  13. Rum Running... • Rum running was very profitable for Canada • Our government seemed content to close their eyes to the practice

  14. Rum Runner Celebrities – Al Capone • Many Canadians admired the way Rum Runners flouted the US authorities • The most famous bootlegger was Al Capone who ran an organized crime ring out of Chicago

  15. Rum Runner Celebrities – Al Capone • The police tried for years to convict Capone for over 400 murders and other illegal activities • The FBI finally convicted his for tax evasion in 1931 and he died in Alcatraz prison in 1947

  16. Al Capone’s Canadian Connection – Moose Jaw • “I don’t even know what street Canada is on,” • - Al Capone • Capone claimed that he had never visited, nor knew anything about Canada • Capone was spotted several times during the 1920s in Canada

  17. Al Capone’s Canadian Connection – Moose Jaw • He reportedly used the city’s underground tunnels to travel between hotels and restaurants unnoticed • American gangsters did business in Moose Jaw

  18. Al Capone’s Canadian Connection – Moose Jaw • During American prohibition the town was important for booze deliveries to the U.S. • Capone was responsible for large shipments of liquor from distilleries across the Canada-U.S. border using rail cars and boats

  19. Al Capone is Treated by a Canadian Physician • Dr. Hugh Young, a physician from Moose Jaw, says he was called late one night, blindfolded and led through a series of tunnels to Capone’s hotel room • He claims Capone had an abscess on his tonsil and asked Dr. Young to remove it without anesthetic • There were lots of stories of Al Capone in Moose Jaw but there is no photographic proof

  20. Al Capone’s Canadian Connection - Quadeville • The large cottage he stayed in had many rooms and three underground tunnels to escape if the police showed up • Inside the cottage one room has evidence of a torture chamber of some kind • There is also a wooden structure to the right in the forest that may be part of the tunnel system or may have been a moonshine distillery

  21. A Canadian Takes on Al Capone’s Gang – Almost! • Lumber was supplied by a local man who was never paid • One day he decided to drive down to Chicago to confront the gang and get his money • Someone there simply told him that if he valued his life he had better go home • He did!!

  22. Rum Running – The Local Connection • In 1857, a distillery was founded in Waterloo, Ontario • Joseph E. Seagram became a partner in 1869 and sole owner in 1883, and the company became known as Joseph E. Seagram & Sons

  23. Rum Running – The Local Connection • The company enjoyed substantial growth in the 1920s, in part due to Prohibition in the United States • Although they were never convicted of criminal activity, the company allegedly dealt with bootleggers during the US Prohibition-era • SleemansBrewery in Guelph was also known to ship illegal beer to the US

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