Before Prohibition started, the crime rate in the US had reached an all time high.  Many people thought that these were all related to alcohol and banning alcohol would lower the crime rate and maybe get rid of crime altogether.  Alas, that was not to be.  Soon after National Prohibition was passed, the crime rate shot past the all-time high and created the highest homicide rate of the early 20^th century.  Apart from not getting rid of crime, Prohibition encouraged criminals to become more organized, thus creating more gangs.  This section of our website will cover how people got their liquor, major gangsters of the Prohibition era, and the crime rate before, during, and after National Prohibition.