Chicago in the Roaring Twenties

One of the most memorable eras is history was the Roaring Twenties. The world had just seen the end of World War I, which many called the war to end all wars. It was a time period where people celebrated the end of the Great War and were looking to enjoy their lives. The decade of the 1920's was a period where people enjoyed prosperity and began to express themselves socially. Wild fashion, new music and partying were becoming normal. And the city which enjoyed this freedom the most was Chicago!

During the post war period alcohol was flowing on a continuous basis. Clubs and other alcohol serving establishments were flourishing. However, in 1919, the United States Congress enacted the National Prohibition Act. This prohibited the manufacturing, distribution and selling of alcohol. Despite the prohibition of alcohol, this did not stop people from manufacturing, distributing and selling alcohol. All alcohol related activities started to go underground away from the police and other federal authorities. This brought about the establishment of speakeasies which was a place for people to get alcohol and be entertained.

While the entire country was impacted by Prohibition, one of the locations that had massive changes was in Chicago. With the demand for alcohol at a high level, and the supply shut off, people looked for ways to solve this problem. This brought about the interest of organized crime. They found ways to manufacture alcohol, ways to transport it and started running the speakeasies to distribute it to patrons. Some of the methods that were used were illegal and sometimes unethical, with strong arm tactics, bribes and violence as ways to get what they want.

During the Roaring Twenties, organized crime was a major force in Chicago. Crime families such as Murder, Incorporated ruled with violence and intimidation. Also, Chicago became a corrupt city with organized crime bribing politicians and law enforcement agencies to allow them to distribute and sell alcohol. The bribes allowed organized crime to operate with the risk of arrest or closure of illegal establishments. However, the work of federal and city agencies eventually was able to stop organized crime and bring the city to safety and under control of the proper authorities. The roaring 20's came to a crashing halt in 1929, when the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929 took place.