When Herbert Hoover introduced prohibition in 1919 he called it "the noble experiment", presenting it as a law that hoped to curb sin and poverty across America. In fact, the 18th Amendment was part of a wider reaction from white, Anglo-Saxon protestants (WASPS) against social changes within the USA brought on by mass immigration and the growth in demand for African-American rights. Therefore despite claims of prohibition being a progressive reform, in fact it symbolised a rejection of modernity.

Temperance dated back to the puritans in the 17th Century, since then the movement had grown especially with the arrival of a large number of pressure groups originating in the 19th century. The most important of these were the WCTU, 1874, and the Anti-Saloon league, 1893,who highlighted the evils of drinking, promoted the careers of prohibitionist politicians and were able to get influential people such as Henry...