Speakeasies of the USA

Bars de style Speakeasy des États-Unis d'Amérique

Speakeasies of the U.S.A.

Years ago, I was inspired to write a book titled “Guide to the Saloons of Colorado.” I had just moved to the state of Colorado, and have a fascination with the miners, cowboys, ranchers, the Native Americans. And I am also fascinated with the saloons that provided the social gathering places for the westward expansion of the United States.

The prohibition movement occurred in various forms for decades before it became an amendment to the Constitution in 1920. There were organizations like the American Temperance Society, the Methodist church, the Prohibition Party, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, to name a few. There were many others as well, including the Anti-Saloon League.

The Anti-Saloon League became the most powerful prohibition lobby in the United States. The League led the Prohibition movement from 1900 until the 18th Amendment was written into the Constitution in 1920, which banned “the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors”. The amendment didn’t ban the consumption of liquor. Individuals could still drink from their stockpiles, and even produce their own alcoholic spirits.

There were many reasons why the Prohibition movement was successful. It was believed that the saloons caused corruption in politics. And there were, and still are, problems with drunken husbands abusing their spouse and families. But Prohibition was a failed social experiment because for as long as humans have had agriculture and have been social beings, there has always been some form of alcohol available. All Prohibition did was move the alcohol industry underground and allowed organized crime to proliferate.

This app is about the Speakeasy era of the United States of America. There are many Speakeasies today in the cities of our country, that provide the same type of atmosphere of the hidden rooms, the dark alleys, and passwords to gain entrance. Most speakeasies today are not authentic, but they provide the atmosphere. There are some true historical speakeasies left which I am in search of. Those are where my real fascination lies in the research for this app. The rest are still a lot of fun to visit, to see how well they represent the speakeasies of the Prohibition.