Aired Wednesday May 5, 7:35am - 8:40amon PBS

Prohibition

Murder and Mayhem

In the early 1920s, while some Americans attempt to honour the Prohibition law, millions more chafe at its unintended consequences. Savvy gangsters make unprecedented profits in the beer trade, resulting in violent territorial grabs for power in cities like Chicago and Detroit. A polarising cultural difference divides America in two: the mostly `wet', diverse cities and the `dry' Protestant countryside.

Category
Documentary / History / Law / Miniseries
Original air date
2011-12-17
Cast and crew
  • Ken BurnsDirector
  • Lynn NovickDirector
  • Peter CoyoteNarrator