The Rise and Fall of Prohibition The Human Side of What the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act Have Done to the United States

"The Rise and Fall of Prohibition" by Charles Hanson Towne is a historical exploration of the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act and the unexpected impact on early 20th-century American society. The book focuses on the cultural and social struggles brought on by the ban on alcohol, revealing how it changed people's actions and thoughts. It begins by discussing society's shock when Prohibition became a reality after voters didn't take it seriously. Instead, the author argues that prohibiting alcohol led to a nation that didn't follow laws and was full of pretense. He emphasizes growing discontent, setting the stage to further examine the contradictions and absurd actions connected to enforcing Prohibition laws.