Speakeasies: A Whiskey Business

The ratification of the 18th Amendment in 1919 banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol began the period of Prohibition. Although Prohibition is most known for being enforced during the 1920's and 30's, temperance movements had emerged from as early as the 1820's. Temperance movements in the 19th century came as a result of religious revivalism, with Maine passing the first state prohibition law in 1846. Alcohol was seen as a destructive force in families and relationships, with many women leading the charge against liquor.
Prohibition began during the last years of the war, when Woodrow Wilson called for a temporary wartime prohibition to save grain for food production. The 18th Amendment was submitted by Congress at the same time, and was ratified shortly after. The Women's Christian Temperance Union was integral in bringing about the ratification of Prohibition, believing that a ban on alcohol would protect families, women, and children from the dangers of alcohol abuse.
However, it seemed that the thirst for alcohol just could not be quenched. Speakeasies replaced the saloons of the previous era, with more and more venues popping up on every street. Owners went to great lengths to disguise speakeasies, requiring a password to allow a patron access to the liquor inside. Large quantities of alcohol was imported from both Canada and overseas. As the 20's wore on, the soft piano music common in saloons was replaced by jazz. Women, embracing their newly-found freedom, were seen in great numbers at speakeasies, dressed as flappers, and drinking in large quantities. The introduction of women lead to the rise of the cocktail, where bootlegged liquor was made more palatable when mixed with fruit juice.
At speakeasies, the idea of drinking to get drunk became a popular pastime, one that has lasted to this day. Old social barriers were broken, and people from all walks of life were able to mingle and converse with each other.
With the rise of speakeasies came the rise of corruption and organized crime. Prohibition was more strongly enforced in places like small towns and rural areas where people supported the 18th Amendment. In large cities however, law enforcement could barely keep up with the rate that speakeasies grew. Many establishments had elaborate disguises for when the raids came, but some didn't even bother hiding it, and outright paid out part of their profits to officers. Organized crime took control of the liquor industry, leading to violent turf wars and gang fights. Al Capone was the most infamous gang boss, and many believed that he was to blame for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929 in Chicago. Many Americans blamed Prohibition for the increasing number of violent outbreaks, as well as the widespread political corruption in the country. Groups began to form to oppose Prohibition, and in 1933, the 21st Amendment officially repealed Prohibition, making alcohol legal again.
Speakeasies are seen as one of the icons of the Jazz Age, and they also had widespread social effects. Speakeasies were places where new societal ideas, like flappers and jazz, could be seen and embraced. Americans from all the social classes were able to mingle with each other and to experience a new way of living. Even though the sale of bootlegged liquor brought about a lot of gang violence, speakeasies were an important contribution to the societal revolution of the 1920's.

Sources:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-prohibitionspeakeasy2.html
http://www.history.com/topics/prohibition
http://www.1920-30.com/prohibition/