Explore the daring women of the 1920s who defied Prohibition, operated speakeasies, and smuggled bootleg liquor. Learn about the challenges and creative solutions of Prohibition, the social dynamics and freedom of speakeasies, and the impact on women's drinking habits. Discover how women defied Prohibition, their role in the illegal alcohol trade, and the rise of Pauline Morton Sabine in the repeal movement.
Women in the 1920s defied Prohibition by operating speakeasies and participating in bootlegging and smuggling.
Speakeasies provided women with a space of liberation, breaking down racial barriers and promoting social equality.
Women's organizations, like the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform, played a significant role in advocating for the repeal of Prohibition.
Deep dives
Women and speakeasies
During Prohibition, women played a significant role in defying and even running speakeasies. They not only drank at cabarets but also operated illegal bars, smuggled bootleg liquor, and brewed homemade moonshine. Women took advantage of the newly created hidden spaces where they could freely exercise their independence and socialize without conforming to societal conventions. Speakeasies became a space for people of different races, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds to mingle and party together.
The rise of female bootleggers
Many women became involved in the production and sale of illegal alcohol during Prohibition. They brewed their own moonshine in rural areas and smuggled liquor across state lines. Women engaged in bootlegging as a means to support their families or supplement their husbands' income. They ran small-scale operations, often hidden in their homes, making it convenient for them to brew alcohol while caring for their children. Female bootleggers often faced lighter punishments or suspended sentences compared to men, as judges tended to view them as victims rather than criminals.
The glamorous world of speakeasies
Speakeasies offered women a space of liberation, where they could drink, socialize, and challenge gender norms. Women were welcome to patronize these hidden bars, and many establishments catered specifically to female clientele. Table service and female bartenders were introduced to make women feel comfortable. Cocktails became popular, crafted to be sweeter and more visually appealing. Speakeasies broke down racial barriers, allowing black and white patrons to socialize together, defying the segregation of the time. These clandestine venues also provided a platform for jazz music and extravagant displays of wealth and entertainment.
Alcohol-related dangers
Prohibition created a black market for alcohol, leading to the production and sale of dangerous and toxic liquors. Industrial alcohol, often mixed with toxic substances, was used in illegal liquor, causing thousands of accidental poisonings and deaths. Many bootleggers diluted and cut their alcohol with various substances, further compromising its quality and safety. Drinking bootlegged liquor came with risks, including blindness, organ damage, and even death. Additionally, the enforcement of Prohibition by law enforcement agencies often resulted in raids and arrests, disrupting speakeasies and causing significant financial losses for proprietors.
The women's movement to repeal Prohibition
As the flaws of Prohibition became apparent, women's organizations emerged to advocate for its repeal. Led by influential figures like Pauline Morton Sabine, women formed the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) and rallied for the end of the 18th Amendment. The WONPR gathered substantial support, with over 1.3 million women enrolled, outperforming the more traditional Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Women's involvement in the repeal movement showcased their political influence and ability to enact change.
Season 4, Episode 6. The 1920s was the decade of speakeasies, gin joints, illicit nightclubs, and cabarets. Today we’ll meet the many women brewing their own moonshine, and doing serious jail time. We’ll meet the bootleggers, smugglers, and rum runners like Gertrude Lythgoe, the queens of the speakeasies, like Texas Guinan and Belle Livingstone, and Pauline Morton Sabin, the woman who eventually helped repeal Prohibition. We’ll learn about what cocktails were popular, what a 1920s cabaret looked like, and how outlawing alcohol inadvertently gave American women the chance to finally drink, dance, and date in public, which led to a decade of greater sexual freedom and female independence.
My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, is out now wherever good books (or audiobooks) are sold! You can learn more about it at my author website. It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It’s full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women’s history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. Find out more about it on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website.
As always, you'll find show notes for this episode, includng images and a list of my research sources, at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.
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