German Americans: Do you think the Prohibition was about alcoholism?

[Tennessean]

Two of my great great grandpas kept saloons, another worked for Bush on his farm. There were over 1300 breweries in the US by the Prohibition, but all of that - the men they employed, their families, the business they supported - would be ruined by one law of ethnic cleansing. No doubt in my mind that prohibition was about fighting Germans. The Germans were harder working, kept to themselves, and better at everything else than the jealous WASP aristocracy. This wasn't even about revenge for WW1 or whatever, as most Germans who came here came to, you know, LEAVE the new, Prussian Germany. Great great grandpa Johan sent three boys to fight America's war, a war nobody wanted anything to do with, but ok the law's the law... only to be the enemy anyway. I just say this as a warning to others. Don't think your government cares or rewards loyalty, or that you matter to them. You don't.

Post-World War I the country could not continue with the reckless slander of nationality without a war of a common goal, but unfortunately for the Germans the damage was already done as seen in the images below. The damage was done to the image but for the most part they were able to hold on to their economic and social status. Like many movements throughout history a common enemy is needed to aid special interest groups  to pass specific legislation, that would be too extreme if proposed at any other time.

Cheers! 

[Jacob]

Have you seen Part One of Ken Burns' documentary Prohibition?  I recommend it.

[Heinrich]

It was most likely anti Catholic altogether. Many Irish, Italians, and  to a lesser degree Poles were also ensconcing themselves into the eastern and Midwestern cities.

[red solo cup]

It was common at one time to portray the Irish with monkey faces. Most immigrants were depicted as sub-human, particularly Catholics.

[Tennessean]

Have you seen Part One of Ken Burns' documentary Prohibition?  I recommend it.

No, but I've seen his Civil War documentary. I'd like to watch his baseball doc too.

It was common at one time to portray the Irish with monkey faces. Most immigrants were depicted as sub-human, particularly Catholics.

Yes, broadly anti-Catholic sentiment even boiled over into violence at times. And political movements. But I think Prohibition was particularly anti-German. It came at the end of a decade of fear-mongering and war propaganda. The breweries kept men employed and families together. They supported neighborhoods and city economics. This was a problem for Progressives who wanted to remake man in their image, and to do that they needed to break up smaller markets and centralize political power in Washington.

Even as far back as the 1750s, when Ben Franklin wrote his essay Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, he complained about Germans stinking up his beautiful Pennsylvania. The Germans are still there, stinking it up (although the Amish don't drink), and the Franklins are a distant memory. lol Good riddance.

[red solo cup]

Grant Wood of American Gothic fame did a stained glass work in 1928, that was a beautiful memorial tribute to fallen American soldiers of WWI. It's considered a masterpiece but at the time it was hidden from the public. It was scandalous because the glass was manufactured in *gasp* Bavaria.

[Tennessean]

Grant Wood of American Gothic fame did a stained glass work in 1928, that was a beautiful memorial tribute to fallen American soldiers of WWI. It's considered a masterpiece but at the time it was hidden from the public. It was scandalous because the glass was manufactured in *gasp* Bavaria.

If they hated the glass for being bavarian, imagine how much they hated the people. Seething progressives never change.

[drummerboy]

Have you seen Part One of Ken Burns' documentary Prohibition?  I recommend it.

No, but I've seen his Civil War documentary. I'd like to watch his baseball doc too.

It was common at one time to portray the Irish with monkey faces. Most immigrants were depicted as sub-human, particularly Catholics.

Yes, broadly anti-Catholic sentiment even boiled over into violence at times. And political movements. But I think Prohibition was particularly anti-German. It came at the end of a decade of fear-mongering and war propaganda. The breweries kept men employed and families together. They supported neighborhoods and city economics. This was a problem for Progressives who wanted to remake man in their image, and to do that they needed to break up smaller markets and centralize political power in Washington.

Even as far back as the 1750s, when Ben Franklin wrote his essay Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, he complained about Germans stinking up his beautiful Pennsylvania. The Germans are still there, stinking it up (although the Amish don't drink), and the Franklins are a distant memory. lol Good riddance.

Damned sauerkraut....smells going in and coming out