Alcohol in America

Alcohol has always been a part of American History. In early America, alcohol was consumed by nearly every settlement in Colonial America. Early laws were created because of drinking to excess, or in other words- drunkenness. People didn’t care about drinking as long as they stayed sober, but when people had chores, jobs, and children to tend to, drunkenness was looked down on.

The first law was made in 1619 in Virginia, but was not made against drinking, but against drunkenness itself. More laws against excessive drinking, or “binge drinking”, were made because people didn’t like the idea of having a “town drunkard”.

During the Civil War, alcohol played a huge role that worked into American History. It was considered the most helpful medicine ever, and it was also a favored drink. It served as an anesthesia drink, and was often used in the place of anesthesia itself because it was cheaper and considered better than a anesthesiologist. It cured ailments and internal diseases to prevent infection, and soldiers were issued a 4 oz. ration of alcohol before a battle to get the soldiers into a fighting mood.