End of Prohibition mixed with Great Depression made for topsy turvy time

During the spring of 1933, the people of Delaware lived in a topsy-turvy world.

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On Monday, Feb. 20, every seat was taken on the floor of the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol. United States senators lined the hall. The galleries were packed with eager spectators, who patiently listened to the historic debate that would turn their world upside-down.

In quick succession, representatives spoke in opposition to the resolution calling for the repeal of Prohibition, which had banned alcoholic beverages in the United States for over a dozen years. After representatives spoke in favor of the resolution, a congressman who opposed repeal proclaimed, “This means we are going back in years …This means the return of the saloon.”

When the debate concluded, the roll was called, and the resolution was passed. When the results of the vote were announced, the Milford Chronicle reported on Feb. 24, 1933, “Members jumped from their seats and yelled. Many shook bands and applauded. Spectators in the galleries joined in the shouts.”

Three weeks later, on March 13, Delaware Gov. C. Douglass Buck signed a bill to amend the draconian Delaware law that enforced the federal mandate prohibiting alcoholic beverages. No longer was the possession of alcohol severely limited. Delaware residents could possess as much as they pleased.

Citizens could transport beer, wine and liquor to all parts of the state. In addition, the odious provisions of the prior law that allowed Prohibition agents to search for illegal booze in just about any place, including private homes, was repealed. Beer and other alcoholic beverages were back in Delaware.

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Even with Prohibition's end, misery of Great Depression continues

That was not the only way that residents of the First State were living in a topsy-turvy world. In March of 1933, the United States had been mired in the Great Depression for over three years, and the country was suffering from a serious lack of currency that threatened to bring down the entire economic system. The Laurel State Register noted on Jan. 13, 1933, “In a world full of wealth, we have no money.”

Before the start of the Depression, people had confidence in banks, which in Delaware were mostly small, local institutions. People did not need as much money when everybody had confidence in the banks.

When the economy soured and many of these banks failed, people began to hold on to their money. When seasonal workers or those worked intermittently got paid, they were afraid to spend their money for fear of not knowing when their next pay would come.

Agrarian Delaware had always had a minimal cash economy. Many families grew their own vegetables, raised chickens and livestock, and maintained a few fruit trees. Wardrobes were limited, and for children, hand-me-down shirts and shoes were common, with the youngest child only occasionally seeing a new garment.

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A number of local stores accepted chickens, eggs, milk, and other items in lieu of cash. Lewes’ Beebe Hospital would sometimes accept farm produce in lieu of cash for its medical services.

In 1933, Prohibition was ending, and beer may have been back, but the money had disappeared. For the next half dozen years, the government instituted a variety of programs to pump money into the economy, with varying degrees of success. It was not until the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe that the American economy began to stabilize, and the topsy-turvy world in Delaware returned to a semblance of normal.

Principal sources

Milford Chronicle, February 24, 1933; March 17, 1933.

State Register, January 13, 1933.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: End of Prohibition mixed with Great Depression was topsy turvy time