Garrett Peck (historian)

At this point, a really great newspaper at the time is the Evening Star. And the Post is just this, you know, smaller rival of the city, kind of a gossip newspaper. But they get this great scoop and they ask Cassidy to spill the beans on Congress. And he writes six front page articles.

At this point, a really great newspaper at the time is the Evening Star. And the Post is just this, you know, smaller rival of the city, kind of a gossip newspaper. But they get this great scoop and they ask Cassidy to spill the beans on Congress. And he writes six front page articles.

The Washington Post was a wet newspaper, and they knew exactly what they were doing, which was to embarrass the dry cause.

The Washington Post was a wet newspaper, and they knew exactly what they were doing, which was to embarrass the dry cause.

It goes national. Other newspapers around the country are all reporting on this. This is a scandal.

It goes national. Other newspapers around the country are all reporting on this. This is a scandal.

The last one of them was published one week before the midterm election in 1930.

The last one of them was published one week before the midterm election in 1930.

That frenzy sent a wrecking ball through the economy. You have the collapse of the stock market signaling the Great Depression. People are really getting cynical at this point. It was just the worst economic catastrophe in our nation's history. It was absolutely unreal. And the Democrats seized on this. They're like, look, let's create jobs again. Alcohol. Let's do it.

That frenzy sent a wrecking ball through the economy. You have the collapse of the stock market signaling the Great Depression. People are really getting cynical at this point. It was just the worst economic catastrophe in our nation's history. It was absolutely unreal. And the Democrats seized on this. They're like, look, let's create jobs again. Alcohol. Let's do it.

You know, Cassidy had done a huge amount of damage here to the dries. And people were all just like, we're done with this. Let's elect some wets and let's end this thing because it's not working.

You know, Cassidy had done a huge amount of damage here to the dries. And people were all just like, we're done with this. Let's elect some wets and let's end this thing because it's not working.

So they let him go home every night.

So they let him go home every night.

As part of Cassie's plea agreement, he tells the judge he will stop bootlegging. And by the way, I got his FBI folder. He did not stop bootlegging.

As part of Cassie's plea agreement, he tells the judge he will stop bootlegging. And by the way, I got his FBI folder. He did not stop bootlegging.

It goes right from Congress, right to the states for ratification. The first state that ratifies it is the proud state of Michigan, an excellent beer state, I might add. The Prohibition Amendment, the 18th Amendment, took 13 months to ratify. The 21st Amendment, the repeal amendment, took eight months. One state after the next, it's just like dominoes, they all just fell.

It goes right from Congress, right to the states for ratification. The first state that ratifies it is the proud state of Michigan, an excellent beer state, I might add. The Prohibition Amendment, the 18th Amendment, took 13 months to ratify. The 21st Amendment, the repeal amendment, took eight months. One state after the next, it's just like dominoes, they all just fell.

Because he had bought up a whole bunch of huge rickhouses full of whiskey.

Because he had bought up a whole bunch of huge rickhouses full of whiskey.