Prohibition

Most Americans know Prohibition happened, but few understand how a constitutional amendment banning alcohol came to pass—or why it failed so spectacularly.

This Ken Burns film reveals the surprising forces behind Prohibition: the women's suffrage movement fighting domestic abuse, Progressive reformers seeking social improvement, and crucially, the income tax, which freed the government from dependence on alcohol revenue. What began as an idealistic crusade to protect families instead created a nation of scofflaws, where speakeasies flourished, organized crime thrived, and defying the law became a badge of honor.

A cautionary tale about unintended consequences that remains relevant today as we continue debating how much government should regulate personal behavior.