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The Prohibition era (1920-33) plays a far more significant role in U.S. history than is commonly assumed. Yes, it clearly failed in its objectives. And, yes, the assumptions that led to the rapid enactment of the 18th Amendment were massively flawed. But Prohibition was, as Lisa McGirr, professor of history at Harvard, argues in her book, The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State, “one of the boldest and most radical social efforts to alter personal behavior in the nation's history and one that would have dramatic though unintended consequences for nation-state building and for politics.” It is also, not surprisingly, inseparable from the broader history of drug prohibition and drug wars since the start of the 20th century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the early 1960s, Orange County became the hub for both white evangelical Christianity and libertarian politics. It was the epicenter of the John Birch Society and the Goldwater campaign. This history is crucial for understanding the rise of the Religious Right throughout the 80s and beyond. It was from this soil that Reagan and his evangelical coalition took over the GOP. The racism, conspiracies, and extremism of 1960s libertarian evangelicals in Southern California has remained part of the GOP and the Religious Right from Goldwater to Reagan to the Tea Party and the presidency of Donald Trump. For access to the full series, click here: https://irreverent.supportingcast.fm/products/the-orange-wave-a-history-of-the-religious-right-since-1960 Interviewee: Dr. Gerardo Marti is a L. Richardson King Professor of Sociology at Davidson College, President of the Association for the Sociology of Religion (2021-2024), Editor of Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review (2012-2021), Chair of the Religion Section of the American Sociological Association (2019-2021), Co-Chair the Religion and Social Science Program Unit of the American Academy of Religion (2009-2016), and Executive Council of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (2007-2010). Suggested Reading: Darren Dochuk, From Bible Belt to Sun Belt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism (WW Norton: 2010) Gerardo Marti, American Blindspot: Race, Class, Religion, and the Trump Presidency (Rowman and Littlefield 2019). Lisa McGirr, Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right (Princeton University Press 2015)
In this episode, guests Niamh Donnelly, Occupational Therapy Manager and Lisa McGirr, Physiotherapy Manager from St Francis Hospice Dublin explain the many ways tailor-made Palliative Rehabilitation programmes can create gains in the quality of life for patients under their care. SFH.ie
In this episode we discuss the book The War On Alcohol - Prohibition and The Rise of The American State by Lisa McGirr, as well the similarities I see today with the war on drugs.
Recent interviews on America's Drug War. Johann Hari on the first days of the war on drugs [1:05] / Lisa McGirr on Prohibition and state power [46:30] / Suzanna Reiss on empire and pharmaceutical dominance [1:23:05] / Sam Quinones on opiate distribution networks [2:06:45] / Donna Murch on racial capital, opioids and enforcement [2:51:20] / Jeff Dorchen on his supply of pills [3:40:36]
In the second podcast in The Crack-Up series, which looks at how 1919 shaped the modern world, historian Ted Widmer talks to Harvard's Professor Lisa McGirr about Prohibition's roots in anti-immigrant sentiment and its enforcement, in some cases, by the Ku Klux Klan. Plus, they discuss the Eighteenth Amendment's connections to World War I and the rise of the modern American state.
In the second podcast in The Crack-Up series, which looks at how 1919 shaped the modern world, historian Ted Widmer talks to Harvard's Professor Lisa McGirr about Prohibition's roots in anti-immigrant sentiment and its enforcement, in some cases, by the Ku Klux Klan. Plus, they discuss the Eighteenth Amendment's connections to World War I and the rise of the modern American state.
In the second podcast in The Crack-Up series, which looks at how 1919 shaped the modern world, historian Ted Widmer talks to Harvard's Professor Lisa McGirr about Prohibition's roots in anti-immigrant sentiment and its enforcement, in some cases, by the Ku Klux Klan. Plus, they discuss the Eighteenth Amendment's connections to World War I and the rise of the modern American state.
Historian Ted Widmer discusses his new Carnegie Council podcast series "The Crack-Up" and how 1919 has shaped the modern world. He and host Alex Woodson speak about parallels to 2019, Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations, Babe Ruth, the early days of Hollywood, and populism in Europe in the aftermath of World War I. Don't miss a new "Crack-Up" tomorrow with Harvard historian Lisa McGirr on prohibition and the American state.
Historian Ted Widmer discusses his new Carnegie Council podcast series "The Crack-Up" and how 1919 has shaped the modern world. He and host Alex Woodson speak about parallels to 2019, Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations, Babe Ruth, the early days of Hollywood, and populism in Europe in the aftermath of World War I. Don't miss a new "Crack-Up" tomorrow with Harvard historian Lisa McGirr on prohibition and the American state.
In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia welcome Princeton historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian Zelizer to discuss their new book, Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974, followed by a discussion of “Dry January,” and new findings that young people are having less sex. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Princeton historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian Zelizer’s new book, Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974 is now available from W.W. Norton. Back in 2012, four thousand people abstained from drinking in January; in 2018, four million adopted “Dry January.” Natalia recommended historian Lisa McGirr’s The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State. Millennials, The Atlantic reports, are in a “sex recession.” Natalia referred to historian Gail Bederman’s book Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender and Race in the United States, 1880-1917. Niki referred to this Huffington Post piece regarding polling on sexual behaviors. In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia recommended The Atlantic’s advertorial spread, “Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.” Neil commented on the Los Angeles Times article, “TSA to Deploy More Floppy-Ear Dogs because They’re Less Scary than Pointy-Ear Dogs.” Niki discussed Livia Gershon’s JSTOR Daily article, “Why Champagne?”
In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the massacre of Jews at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, the closing of rural hospitals, and the political reawakening of women in Orange County, California. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The largest murder of Jews in the United States took place last month at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Natalia referred to writer Yascha Mounk’s tweet about the resistance of the media to acknowledge anti-Semitism as racism. Niki referred to her discussion of anti-Semitism and the alt-Right in her podcast series A12. Rural hospitals are closing, depriving Americans in these regions of crucial medical services. Natalia recommended historian Gabriel Rosenberg’s book on the idealization of rural life, The 4-H Harvest: Sexuality and the State in Rural America. Motivated by antipathy to Trump, previously politically disengaged suburban mothers in Orange County are organizing in advance of the midterms. Natalia cited historian Lisa McGirr’s Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right as an important political history of the region. Neil mentioned his recent Atlantic article on white women’s changing political affinities in the age of Trump. In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia recommended Jordan Smith’s Runner’s World article, “Kelly Herron After Chasing Down Alleged Attacker: We Do Not Have To ‘Let It Go’.” Neil shared Ruth Graham’s Slate article, “Two Shotguns: What Happened at Ruby Ridge?” Niki discussed Keia Mastraianni’s Bon Appetit article, “’Election Cake’ Makes a Modern Resurgence.”
"Miriam Pawel’s fascinating book 'The Browns of California' charts four generations of the Brown family, focusing on the political careers of Edmund (Pat) Brown — the two-term California governor from 1959 to 1967 — and his son, Edmund (Jerry) Brown Jr., governor from 1975 to 1983, and again from 2011 to the present. The Browns’ collective 24-year political domination of California has spanned an astonishing 60 years. Pawel, the author of ‘The Crusades of Cesar Chavez,’ bills her family saga as a ‘lens through which to tell a unique history of the 31st state,’ but it does much more. Her engaging narrative of the politics, ideas and policies of the two Edmund Browns illuminates the sea change in the nation’s politics in the last half of the 20th century.” – Lisa McGirr, New York Times Book Review. Don’t miss Leonard’s conversation with Miriam about one of the nation’s lesser-known political dynasties.
In 1932, nine days after his inauguration, President Roosevelt signed an order authorizing the sale of beer. It would soon be followed by the 21st amendment: the full repeal of Prohibition. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
In The Past Lane - The Podcast About History and Why It Matters
This week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, I speak with historian Linda Gordon about her new book, The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition (Liveright, 2018). Most Americans are familiar with the first version of the KKK, the one that was founded in 1866, right after the Civil War, in order to uphold white supremacy in the South through campaigns of terrorist violence. Once the Jim Crow system of racial oppression was in place by the 1890s, the KKK faded away. But a new KKK emerged in 1915, inspired in part by the debut of, “The Birth of A Nation,” a deeply racist film that hailed the KKK as the savior of the white South. As Linda Gordon explains, this KKK was different from the original in that it was national in scope and it expanded its message of hate to target, in addition to African Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. It also promoted itself as a legitimate patriotic organization and focused its efforts on mobilizing political power. It’s a fascinating conversation and one – in light of Charlottesville and the emergence of the Alt-Right – incredibly relevant to 2018. Among the many things discussed in this episode: What was the original Ku Klux Klan that emerged in the wake of the Civil War? Why did a second version of the KKK arise in 1915 and how did it differ from the original? How the KKK broadened its message of hate to target not only blacks, but also Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. Why were so many women drawn to the KKK in the 1920s? How evangelical ministers played a key role in boosting KKK membership to more than 4 million by 1927. How the KKK in the 1920s presented itself as just another patriotic fraternal society and not a hate group. How the KKK was a vast business that raked in more than $25 million a year at its peak. How the climate of intolerance in the 1920s has many similarities with contemporary America. Recommended reading: Linda Gordon, The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition (Liveright, 2018) Kathleen M. Blee, Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in the 1920s Lizabeth Cohen, Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939 Roger Daniels, Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882 Felix Harcourt, Ku Klux Kulture: America and the Klan in the 1920s Kenneth T. Jackson, The Ku Klux Klan in the City 1915-1930 Nathan Miller, New World Coming: The 1920s And The Making Of Modern America Peter Schrag, Not Fit for Our Society: Immigration and Nativism in America Related ITPL podcast episodes: Episode 003 with historian Lisa McGirr about her book on Prohibition Episode 013 on the history of the Pledge of Allegiance Music for This Episode Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive) Jon Luc Hefferman, “Discovery” (Free Music Archive) Jon Luc Hefferman, “Winter Trek” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive) Production Credits Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer Associate Producer: Tyler Ferolito Technical Advisors: Holly Hunt and Jesse Anderson Podcasting Consultant: Darrell Darnell of Pro Podcast Solutions Photographer: John Buckingham Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci Website by: ERI Design Legal services: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Social Media management: The Pony Express Risk Assessment: Little Big Horn Associates Growth strategies: 54 40 or Fight © In The Past Lane, 2018
The people had spoken: They wanted beer, and they wanted it now, but not just for drinking. Protestors wanted the jobs that came with breweries, and the country was desperate from the money that could come from alcohol taxes. As quickly as temperance organizations sprang up in the decade before, anti-Prohibition organizations appeared in every city. But, a constitutional amendment had never been repealed before. The anti-Prohibition leagues realized they needed someone bigger than a governor or mayor to repeal this. They went after the Presidency.For a deeper understanding of the interplay between beer, taxation and the history of Repeal, Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Brew by Maureen Ogle is essential reading. Kenneth D. Rose’s American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition provided insight into Pauline Sabin’s work, as did David J. Hanson’s comprehensive resource, Alcohol Problems and Solutions.Those who want to do a deeper dive into the 1932 DNC and the mob’s involvement, you can read more in the article from Salon, Corruption for Decades. Lisa McGirr’s The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State also explores the relationship between the New Deal and Repeal. For more on Cox’s Army, check out The Bonus Army: An American Epic by Paul Dixon and Thomas B. Allen.Andrew Barr’s Drink: A Social History of America contains a great chapter about the failure of controls and the legacy of prohibition in state liquor laws and the relationship between California’s wine industry and repeal is well documented in When the Rivers Ran Red by Vivienne Sosnowski. To catch up with the bartenders who are bringing back pre-Prohibition cocktails, David Wondrich’s Imbibe is required reading.Support us by supporting our sponsors!
The rise of the speakeasy was one of many unintended consequences of Prohibition - and others were much deadlier.Not coincidentally, at the same time Prohibition was taking effect, the Klu Klux Klan rose to power. They combined Prohibition’s anti-immigrant rhetoric with violence. As the number of speakeasies continued to grow, and states continued to buckle down, suppliers couldn’t keep up. Quality went down. Most bootleg alcohol from the time had elements of stuff that would kill you. But people everywhere still wanted to drink - and they would go to any length to get one.Almost everyone could see there was a problem with how Prohibition was actually playing out, but no one could agree what the solution was.No Place of Grace by T. J. Jackson Lears is a fantastic book to learn about the roots of modernism and anti-modernism in American culture. Allan Levine’s The Devil in Babylon also explores these themes, specifically how these impulses played out in 1920’s America.For more on the author of Elmer Gantry, Sinclair Lewis: Rebel from Main Street by Richard Lingerman is a great read. And to understand the relationship between the Ku Klux Klan and Prohibition, Paul Angle’s Bloody Williamson: A Chapter in American Lawlessness and Thomas Pegram’s articles and books, including One Hundred Percent American are essential reading. Again, Lisa McGirr’s The War on Alcohol explores these topics quite thoroughly and connects them to the rise of the modern state. A few different articles have delved into the dirty political campaigns of the 1920s, including this good summary by Mental Floss.Support us by supporting our sponsors!
On January 17, 1920, the United States passed the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, ushering in a 13-year dry spell known as Prohibition. But how did a country that loved to drink turn its back on alcohol? How did two-thirds of both the House and Senate and three-fourths of State legislatures all agree that going dry was the way to get the country going forward? It had always been a long, uphill battle for the temperance movement, but towards the end of the nineteenth century, certain forces aligned: fears of industrialization, urbanization and immigration. Traditional American life was changing - fast - and many people looked for a scapegoat: the saloon.For more information on how Prohibition came to be, check out Professor David J. Hanson’s, “Alcohol Problems and Solutions,” a comprehensive, interactive site that outlines all the various stakeholders in the Noble Experiment.Daniel Okrent’s Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition is a key text for learning more about Prohibition and how it came about. And, to narrow in on New York, itself, Michael Lerner’s Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City is a tremendous resource.The bootlegger character was based on a real story, A Bootlegger’s Story: How I Started, which ran in the New Yorker in 1926.For more on the Atlanta race riots and how they connect to Prohibition, check out this story on NPR, in which professor Cliff Kuhn describes his research. To learn more about the intersection between race and the policing of Prohibition, Lisa McGirr’s The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State is invaluable.Further references can be found in America Walks Into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops by Christine Sismondo.Support us by supporting our sponsors!
In The Past Lane - The Podcast About History and Why It Matters
This week's episode focuses on American prohibitions. That’s right, Prohibitions in the plural. Even though Americans think of themselves as a people who have always prized individual liberty, history shows that there are MANY examples where one group of Americans tried to stop another group of Americans from engaging in a particular behavior. So here’s the lineup: 1. First, a feature on a little-known prohibition crusade from the early 20th century that tried to ban cigarettes. 2. Then I interview historian Lisa McGirr about her new book, The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State. Show notes and credits at www.InThePastLane.com Episode 003 credits: Music: Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (courtesy, JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive) Lee Rosevere, “Going Home” (Free Music Archive) Andy Cohen, “Trophy Endorphins” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive)