Prohibition America

Catalog description

The 1920s is often characterized as an era of unabashed freedom, from flappers to speakeasies, the Harlem Renaissance to gangster culture. Yet, the 1920s were also marked by severe restrictions on Americans’ individual rights and social and moral behavior, and by violent white supremacy. This course examines these polarizing forces by through an examination of the social and political origins of the 18th Amendment, its implications on communities across the country, and how it might inform contemporary debates over the regulation and criminalization of drugs. No prerequisite. (Offered every other fall semester.) Credit 4