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Gathering Details !
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Rumrunning And The Roaring Twenties In
Detroit
by Harley Berger, Vice-President
On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment prohibiting
alcoholic beverages took effect. Church and business leaders, temperance
advocates and government officials predicted that a tranquil new era was
dawning. An era when prisons would be empty, police forces could be
drastically cut, and the citizenry would be more productive, spending time
with their families rather than in saloons.
Well... it didn't quite work out as envisioned. In fact, the Prohibition
"experiment" failed miserably-- and nowhere worse than in Michigan, where
the state's close proximity to Canada made it a major center for smuggling
illegal alcohol. Despite the efforts of Federal and local law enforcement,
and astounding 75% of all illegal liquor brought into the U.S. came across
the Detroit River!
Join us on Saturday, November 15, for a fascinating look at life in
Michigan during Prohibition. Our guest speaker, Wayne State's
Distinguished Professor of History, Philip P. Mason
will provide insights based on his book "Rumrunning and the Roaring
Twenties." Included will be some of the most creative methods of
smuggling, which ranged from baby carriages and electronically controlled
torpedoes to false breasts and hollowed out loaves of bread and
watermelons. As well as a look at some of the leading characters such as
mob racketeers, and "legitimate" businessmen like Joe Kennedy, who
profited vast sums from the nation's thirst for alcohol.
This will be our final lecture until next February, so don't miss this
opportunity to glimpse into a bygone era, when flappers, urban
development, fads and speakeasies dominated American culture. A time when
some sought to change human nature through the force of an unpopular law,
while others sought to make their fortunes by defying it. |
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