Prohibition: 1920 vs. 2020

December 5th marks the anniversary of the end of Prohibition. In 1920, the U.S. government passed a constitutional amendment banning the sale of alcohol nationwide, thus starting a decade-long reign of terror that forced bars to close and made ordinary social activity a crime. Fast forward 100 years and once again, we saw bars shut down and social gatherings criminalized. Only this time, the crackdown was justified with safety concerns rather than moral precepts. But what a difference a century makes! Free the People creative director Sam Martin compares prohibition in 1920 to prohibition in 2020 as part of the coronavirus lockdowns.