Interpreting the Prohibition Era at Museums and Historic Sites

by Jason S. Lantzer Butler University

Overview

Interpreting the Prohibition Era at Museums and Historic Sites chronicles the rise and fall of one of the greatest attempted reforms in American History. Why were Americans so worried about alcohol? Why did they seek to ban an entire industry? How did those involved in the trade react? How did repeal come about? How should we remember the "noble crusade"? Such questions are important, both for historians and museums who seek to interpret the Prohibition Era, as well as for the general public who wants to know more about the Roaring Twenties and how it continues to shape the United States today.

Case studies cover:

· Breweries
· Reformers
· Women
· Saloons, both before and after Prohibition
· Gamblers and gumshoes

This guide will help museum and history professionals make sense of a complex story, relate the history and legacy of political pressure groups, and help learners think about the era in new ways.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759124318
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/20/2014
Series:	Interpreting History , #2
Pages:	116
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jason S. Lantzer is an historian who looks at the intersection of religion, politics, and law in American culture. His first book, Prohibition is Here to Stay was published by the University of Notre Dame Press in 2009, and his second book, Mainline Christianity was published by New York University Press in 2012. He is the honors program coordinator at Butler University, where he teaches broadly on US History.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Part I: The History of Prohibition
Chapter 1: Early American Drinking and the Birth of the Temperance Movement
Chapter 2: Drinking as a Big Business
Chapter 3: The Prohibition Moment
Chapter 4: Revolutionary Repeal and the End of a Reform
Part II: Interpreting Prohibition History
Chapter 5: Repeal's Legacy and Interpreting the Past
Chapter 6: Capturing the Local Story
Chapter 7: Capturing the National Story and Legacy
Appendix: Timeline
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Interpreting the Prohibition Era at Museums and Historic Sites is a must-read for any museum professionalseeking to uncover the Prohibition era in a museum gallery or program setting. Tapping into public interest by celebrating objects and stories from the local perspective is a wonderful opportunity for museums, but this book will help program developers understand the context in which their story sits. Taking the local story and asking the variety of contextual questions posed in this book will help museums explore the widest possible angle of history and spark countless new interests on the part of visitors.

Eloise Batic

Interpreting the Prohibition Era at Museums and Historic Sites is exactly the kind of book that busy interpreters, curators, and museum administrators need. Well-researched and lucidly written, it combines a brief history of prohibition with incisive guidelines for interpretation. Lantzer offers an informative account of the long war between “wets” and “drys” in slightly less than fifty pages. His guidelines demonstrate the enduring relevance of prohibition while offering suggestions for telling meaningful, engaging stories about it. Interpreting the Prohibition Era at Museums and Historic Sites is sure to become a standard resource for public historians and museum professionals. In fact, by reminding us that prohibition left no part of the nation untouched, the book shows why its story deserves to be told—and how sites large and small can incorporate it into their programming.

Daniel Vivian