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Since the 19th century, several political and religious leaders in the United States have argued that alcoholic beverages should be largely opposed by the government. Many proponents of the idea, in addition to relying on religious and moral arguments, went around saying that the ban on drinks could help the development of the nation and could avoid the risk of self-combustion. In the year 1917, this possibility gained new reinforcements.
That year, the United States entered the First World War against German and Austro-Hungarian troops. The costs generated by the conflict required the country to ration food in all possible ways. Thus, the expenditure of wheat and other cereals for the manufacture of drink was something to be avoided. In addition, there was another nationalist justification: consuming beer and wine (typical German beverages) was an unpatriotic act.
In 1920, the Volstead Act or National Prohibition Act came into force saying that any drink with more than 0.5% alcohol content would be intoxicating and, therefore, its manufacture, sale, distribution and consumption would be strictly prohibited. Although strict, the law could not contain the desire of thousands of people who wished to consume some type of alcoholic beverage.
