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 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 5 of 16 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and 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| Only Amendment ever repealed (21st, 1933) | America admitted Prohibition was a complete failure |
Practice questions for Prohibition
Which Amendment to the US Constitution introduced Prohibition in January 1920?
How much money did gangster Al Capone earn per year at the height of his Prohibition-era bootlegging operation?
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