100 Years Ago, a Minnesota Congressman’s Law Passed, and Prohibition Really Began
Like Prohibition itself, Rep. Andrew Volstead, who wrote the legislation, was a polarizing figure. “He got death threats. People were really angry about this,” said Lori Williamson, acquisitions and outreach coordinator for the Minnesota Historical Society. “They felt that freedoms were being taken away, part of their cultural heritage was being taken away. They were really against prohibition, and he was the focal point for that. So, people put a lot of their anger and resentment on him personally.” (Minnesota Public Radio)
Gallup Vault: Little Thirst for Restoring Prohibition in 1930s
In 1935 — Gallup’s first year of polling — Americans expressed mixed reviews on the effect of the Volstead Act’s repeal. Roughly equal proportions of respondents said the drinking situation in their locality was “better,” “worse” or “about the same” after repeal compared with the last few years of Prohibition.
In later years, Gallup asked the public if, given another opportunity, they would vote to “make the country dry” — that is, to reinstate Prohibition. Consistently, about two in three Americans said they would vote to not restore Prohibition in polls from 1936 to 1942. Six years after Prohibition’s repeal via the 21st Amendment, a majority of Americans (58%) reported that they drank alcoholic beverages on occasion. (Gallup)