We learned about this museum on one of our Savannah podcasts. It is actually the only museum in the country specifically dedicated to the history of Prohibition and it was fascinating. The idea of banning alcohol seems outlandish in our current culture. But for the first time, I could really empathize with the movement and particularly the predicament of many women during that era.
A household at the beginning of the 1900s was often the financial responsibility of one man. That might include a wife, children, perhaps elderly parents or unmarried female relatives. While they often did all the work to keep the household afloat, he was responsible for bringing home the money. The drinking culture for most men was at a saloon. It was a place where some men spent every last dime, leaving their family destitute and with no recourse. There was also an anti-immigration perspective to the movement. In essence, the American Protestant culture vs. immigrants from Catholic countries with a very different drinking culture.
The world of bars where men and women meet was ironically not something that emerged until Prohibition in the form of the speakeasy. I think Prohibition resulted in a number of unintended consequences. It spawned organized crime, wide spread law breaking, the rise of jazz and some early steps toward sexual freedom.
The museum does a great job of telling the whole story and then at the end, you can enjoy the speakeasy experience. I thought I knew a lot about Prohibition from books and our travels throughout bourbon country. But I was able to learn something new. The museum is full of impressive wax figures and provides a great historical context to a significant period of US history.
Below is my post from our travels last fall in Kentucky. Next week, I will return to our January trip out West but have no fear, there is more to say about Savannah.
WOW, reading this I can understand why there was prohibition in the first place. And that quote about immigrants from 1919 is NUTS.