Key Evidence — The Numbers Tell the Story
Part of Prohibition — GCSE History
This key facts covers Key Evidence — The Numbers Tell the Story within Prohibition for GCSE History. Revise Prohibition in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 5 of 12 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 5 of 12
Practice
10 questions
Recall
14 flashcards
📊 Key Evidence — The Numbers Tell the Story
| Evidence | What It PROVES |
|---|---|
| 30,000 speakeasies in NYC alone | Prohibition INCREASED drinking venues — more illegal bars than legal ones before! |
| Al Capone: $60 million/year | Crime became incredibly profitable — more than most legal businesses |
| Only 1,500 Prohibition agents | Enforcement was impossible — couldn't patrol 18,000 miles of borders/coastline |
| Agents paid $2,500/year | Easy to bribe when gangsters offered $300,000 |
| 1 in 12 agents fired for corruption | Systematic corruption, not just "bad apples" |
| 227 gangland murders in Chicago 1927-30 | Violence became normal and accepted |
| 0 convictions for those 227 murders | Justice system completely corrupted or intimidated |
| $2 billion bootlegging industry | Created a massive illegal economy |
| Only Amendment ever repealed (21st, 1933) | America admitted Prohibition was a complete failure |
💀 Case Study: Al Capone — The Face of Prohibition's Failure
Al Capone perfectly illustrates why Prohibition failed:
Why this quote matters: Capone understood that Prohibition created his business. Without the ban, there would be no illegal profits. He was RIGHT — he was supplying demand that the law couldn't eliminate.