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I watched all three episodes of Ken Burns' documentary Prohibition.
I think it was excellent, although I think the first two episodes were better than the third.
Burns showed how historical events were interlaced. For example, I did not understand before watching the documentary how the income tax amendment and the prohibition amendment were interconnected. At one point over 70 percent of federal revenues came from alcohol taxes. Only by implementing an alternative tax could the federal government free itself from dependence upon taxes on the sale of alcohol. Once the income tax passed, alcohol could be banned.
Also interesting was the connection between prohibition and the First World War. The First World War involved a nearly insane hatred of Germany and all things German. But almost all the advocates of the legal sale of beer were brewers of German ancestry.
Hatred of things German was so extreme that people began killing dachshunds on sight.
The hatred of Roman Catholics and the first major-party Presidential candidate Al Smith
was also a revelation.
Protestant minister Billy Sunday reportedly said: "I'd rather see a [N-word] in the White House than see Al Smith as President."
More later, but basically this is a great documentary.
I think it was excellent, although I think the first two episodes were better than the third.
Burns showed how historical events were interlaced. For example, I did not understand before watching the documentary how the income tax amendment and the prohibition amendment were interconnected. At one point over 70 percent of federal revenues came from alcohol taxes. Only by implementing an alternative tax could the federal government free itself from dependence upon taxes on the sale of alcohol. Once the income tax passed, alcohol could be banned.
Also interesting was the connection between prohibition and the First World War. The First World War involved a nearly insane hatred of Germany and all things German. But almost all the advocates of the legal sale of beer were brewers of German ancestry.
Hatred of things German was so extreme that people began killing dachshunds on sight.
The hatred of Roman Catholics and the first major-party Presidential candidate Al Smith
was also a revelation.
Protestant minister Billy Sunday reportedly said: "I'd rather see a [N-word] in the White House than see Al Smith as President."
More later, but basically this is a great documentary.
