Abstract
From the start, Prohibition was a mix of contradictions. While the production, sale, importation, and transportation of alcohol were banned, drinking or possessing alcohol was never illegal. Legislation shaped what was considered “moral” behavior, but it actually fostered an increasing disrespect for the law. Enforcement was chronically underfunded. The effect was far-fl ung, from driving citizens to make bathtub gin to encouraging the expansion of organized crime and redefi ning the role of American government in people’s lives. As ordinary citizens rebelled against the law, Pittsburgh earned a reputation as one the “wettest” places in the United States.
The following is a selection of artifacts that can be seen in the exhibition, American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, that illustrate the alcohol debate and the era of Prohibition in Western Pennsylvania.