America 1920-1973Comparison

Exam Technique: Evaluating "Success" and "Failure"

Part of Prohibition · GCSE GCSE History revision

This comparison covers Exam Technique: Evaluating "Success" and "Failure" within Prohibition for GCSE History. Revise Prohibition in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 12 exam-style questions and 17 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 7 of 16 in this topic. Use this comparison to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 7 of 16

Practice

12 questions

Recall

17 flashcards

⚖️ Exam Technique: Evaluating "Success" and "Failure"

Questions often ask whether Prohibition was a "success" or "failure." Here is how to structure a balanced answer:

Arguments It "Succeeded"	Arguments It "Failed"
Alcohol consumption DID fall initially (by ~30%) Some rural areas saw genuine reductions Saloon culture declined — fewer public drunks Some health improvements in early years Showed democracy could attempt major social reform	Created organised crime worth billions Corrupted police, judges, politicians Violence increased dramatically Millions became casual lawbreakers Impossible to enforce Had to be REPEALED (21st Amendment, 1933) Only Amendment ever undone

How to conclude: "Overall, Prohibition must be judged a failure because the negative consequences far outweighed any benefits. The fact that it remains the ONLY Constitutional Amendment ever repealed shows that Americans themselves concluded it had failed."

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Prohibition. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

⭐ Case Study: Al Capone — The Face of Prohibition's Failure Why Did Prohibition Fail? — The Connected Causes of Failure Setting the Scene How to THINK About This Topic (History Skills)

Practice Questions for Prohibition

Which Amendment to the US Constitution introduced Prohibition in January 1920?

A. 16th Amendment
B. 17th Amendment
C. 18th Amendment
D. 21st Amendment

1 markfoundation

How much money did gangster Al Capone earn per year at the height of his Prohibition-era bootlegging operation?

A. $6 million
B. $60 million
C. $600 million
D. $2 billion

1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

What was a "speakeasy"?

A secret illegal bar — needed password to enter, bribed police to stay open

What was "bootlegging"?

Making, smuggling, or selling illegal alcohol

12 questions on Prohibition — practise free

Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 17 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.

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⭐ Case Study: Al Capone — The Face of Prohibition's Failure

Why Did Prohibition Fail? — The Connected Causes of Failure