![]() ![]() But, they also introduced a new element to their patrons – drugs. Like their counterpart saloons of the past, prostitution and gambling flourished in speakeasies. Increasingly, it became fashionable to defy the Prohibition laws, and the hip flask became a symbol of rebellion, seen everywhere – at theatres, festivals, and sporting events. In the speakeasies, drinking to get drunk became a popular pastime, whereas before, alcohol was generally considered secondary to eating and socializing. From housewives to large business owners, blue-collar workers, corrupted police chiefs, and mayors, these many patrons befriended each other in their quest of the same goals – drinking and avoiding the law. While often having their cocktails in teacups in case of a raid, old social barriers were broken as the rich and powerful began to rub shoulders with ordinary folks. Making the bootlegged liquor much more palatable, millions of people who didn’t like the taste of beer, wine, or hard liquors found cocktails irresistible, turning men and women alike into “criminals” by the thousands. However, during this new era that welcomed women, alcohol began to be mixed with soft drinks, sugar water, and fruit juices. In the days of the “ Old West,” most men drank either beer or straight shots of liquor. The “cocktail” was born at this time, which had virtually been non-existent before Prohibition. Where beer and wine had previously been the drinks of choice, now alcohol was drunk much more frequently, as it was easier to transport and took up less space, making it cheaper for speakeasy patrons. No longer did the free-flowing liquor in speakeasies carry its former names of White Lightning, Tanglefoot, and Firewater alcohol now carried the new monikers of cocktail, devil’s candy, bathtub gin, booze, and hooch. Songwriter Hoagy Carmichael described the new era as “it came in “with a bang of bad booze, flappers with bare legs, jangled morals and wild weekends.” Quickly, both Prohibition and jazz music were blamed for the immorality of women, and young people were attracted to the glamour of speakeasies and began to drink in large numbers. Dancing to the jazz tunes of such soon-to-be-famous jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bojangles Robinson, and Ethel Waters, their powdered faces, bright red lips, and bare arms and legs displayed an abandon never before seen by American women. The “Jazz Age” quickly signified a loosening up of morals, the exact opposite of what its Prohibition advocates had intended, and in came the “flapper.” They flooded the speakeasies with short skirts and bobbed hair, daring to smoke cigarettes and drink cocktails. Just six months after Prohibition became law in 1920, women got the right to vote, and coming into their own, they quickly “loosened” up, tossed their corsets, and enjoyed their newfound freedoms. Lady hides a flask during Prohibition, 1926īefore the amendment, women drank very little, and even then, perhaps just a bit of wine or sherry. Having been long banned from the saloons of the past, “regular” women found accessible entrance into these new establishments. And, where there is dancing, there will be women.īut in these new “saloons” of the Prohibition era, these many women were not exclusively dancehall girls or entertainers. With stiff competition from numerous establishments, many of the speakeasies provided music for their patrons, and hundreds of jazz musicians quickly found work. Gone also were the tinkling sounds of the player piano and dance hall girls as Prohibition ushered in the age of Jazz. Generally, before a thirsty patron could cross the illegal threshold, a password, specific handshake, or secret knock was required. Gone were the boardwalks, swinging doors, spittoons, and mustache towels of the saloon era, as speakeasies disguised themselves in numerous creative ways. The same became true all over the nation. At one time, there were thought to be over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone New Jersey claimed there were ten times as many as before the amendment, and Rochester, New York, twice the number. ![]()
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