Prohibition and the Mob 'Prohibition' is the name given to the attempt to eliminate the drinking of alcohol in America. People line up to get their last bottles before it takes effect. Afterwards, enterprising urban dwellers set up illegal bars, called 'speakeasies,' in secret basements.  Over time, organized crime takes control of most illegal shipments.

	Troubling Events President Wilson suddenly suffers a stroke after returning from Europe, which leaves him bedridden, and barely able to function. Disappearing from public view, his wife Edith secretly assumes his duties during the remaining five months of his term. Theodore Roosevelt is the overwhelming favorite to succeed Wilson, but dies unexpectedly. A relative unknown is elected instead (center), but then he, too, dies suddenly, leaving Vice President Calvin Coolidge to take his place (right). America grows uneasy.
	Tumultuous Struggle Prohibition lasts throughout the 1920s. Federal agents make initial attempts to enforce the liquor ban, with several high-profile media events to make the point. They raid illegal speakeasies in the cities, and destroy backwoods stills in rural areas. They smash bottles and barrels, but can't stop the flow of illegal alcohol. American's get their drink wherever they can, sometimes dying from home-brewed 'bathtub gin,' or bottles of lethal raw alcohol. Americans, it seems, need their drink, and Prohibition is repealed.