Gangsterism In The 1920S Essays - Prohibition In The United States

Gangsterism In The 1920'S Essays - Prohibition In The United States Gangsterism In The 1920'S The Roaring Twenties,; what a perfect aphorism. It was certainly roaring with music and dance, but it also was roaring with gangsters. In the aspect of gangsterism, the thirties were also roaring. Americans in this time period tolerated criminals, especially those involved in bootlegging. Bootlegging is the smuggling of illegal substances. Bootlegging could have possibly been tolerated because of the recent outlaw of alcohol during this time period, known as the Prohibition. Gangsters were involved in bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, organized crime, and racketeering. Al Scarface Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger were the headliners of this era. Gangsterism provided a risky job but maximum rewards in a time when jobs were scarce and our country was in the midst of a depression. When Congress passed the eighteenth amendment, alcohol was banned in every way from America. People who were addicted to alcohol and even those who were accustomed to the casual drink still had a demand for it. Many would pay top dollar for a drink, they didnt think obtaining alcohol would be too immoral because it was legal just a few years back. Citizens would hold private socials and would serve alcohol to all of the guests, this was usually done by the wealthy because of the high cost of alcohol. This opened up many opportunities for those who were willing to take risks and bootleg illegal alcohol to the country. With money flowing like water to many of these gangsters, greed began to grow rapidly among them. They began to explore more demoralizing fields of work. These gangsters began to open speakeasies, which were like old west taverns with prostitution, gambling, and of course, drinking. Speakeasies always had cover charges ranging from five dollars to twenty-five dollars, depending on the price of alcohol at the time. Americas obsession for alcohol allowed the owners to charge any price they wanted. Thousands of speakeasies were located in Chicago, which meant that tens-of-thousands of speakeasies were spread around the country, with most in the large cities. So many Americans were sneaking around under the law that moral values began to dwindle. Gangsters moved up in the ranks and began more vicious crimes such as murder and massive theft. Most of these crimes were necessary to keep business alive. Murder was widespread because some people who would be paid to keep quiet would talk, in return they would be dealt withvery harshly. In 1929, gangsters from across the country gathered in Atlantic City, New Jersey to meet with one another. Leaders from all of the major crime syndicates attended. At the meeting, they made agreements on boundaries and a their government to make sure relations between groups were peaceful. Anyone who broke these rules were, again, dealt withvery harshly. One of the most famous crime bosses ever was Al Capone. His nickname was scarface. which is used as a nickname in many mobster movies. He had his own armyseven thousand strong. He owned ten thousand speakeasies, and he was involved in all of the traditional gangster activities such as prostitution and gambling. Many politicians and police officers were on the payroll of Capone. Because of his one-hundred million dollar annual income, he had no problem maintaining this kind of lifestyle. Capons most famous quote is When I sell liquor, its bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, its hospitality. In 1929, a rival boss, Bugs Moran, began to infringe on Capones territory. He sent some of his boys, disguised as police officers, to one of Morans drop-off spots for alcohol. They disarmed Morans men and then sprayed many rounds in to their bodies, ending Morans career as a gangster. This is known as the St. Valentines Day Massacre. After the Massacre, Capones freedom and iron-fisted control was on the decline because of the Public Enemies List. Law enforcement tried to nail him for any offense for which they could get proof, the only one was tax evasion. Capone served eleven years in prison and left wrecked by syphilis. He died peacefully in his home and was buried next to his father and grandfather in Chicagos west side. Other criminals took advantage of corrupt law enforcement and went on

Information and Facts About Elephant Babies

Information and Facts About Elephant Babies Elephants are interesting animals. Their size is awesome, and their strength is incredible. They are intelligent and affectionate beings. Amazingly, even with their large size, they can walk silently. You might not even notice them passing by! Fast Facts: Baby Elephants Gestation period: 18 - 22 monthsBirth weight: about 250 poundsHeight: about 3 feet tallAbout 99% of calves are born at nightCalves are born with curly black or red hair on their foreheadsCalves drink about 3 gallons of milk a day Facts About Baby Elephants A baby elephant is called a calf. It weighs about 250 pounds at birth and stands about three feet tall. Calves cant see very well at first, but they can recognize their mothers by touch, scent, and sound. Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mothers milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!  At about four months old, they also begin eating some plants, like adult elephants, but they continue to need as much milk from their mother. They keep drinking milk for up to ten years! At first, baby elephants dont really know what to do with their trunks. They swing them to and fro and sometimes even step on them. They will suck their trunk just as a human baby might suck its thumb. By about 6 to 8 months, calves begin learning to use their trunks to eat and drink. By the time they are a year old, they can control their trunks pretty well and, like adult elephants,  use their trunks for grasping,  eating, drinking, bathing. Female elephants stay with the herd for life, while males leave to begin a solitary life  at about 12 to 14 years of age. Elephant Babies Coloring Page (Print the PDF): Color this picture while you review the facts youve learned.   Species of Elephants For many years scientists thought that there were two different species of elephants:  Asian elephants and African elephants. However, in 2000, they began classifying African elephants into two distinct species, the African savanna  elephant and the African forest elephant. Elephant Vocabulary Worksheet (Print the PDF): Discover more about elephants by  with this vocabulary worksheet. Look up each word in a dictionary or online. Then, write the correct word on the blank line beside each definition. Elephant Word Search (Print the PDF): See how well you remember what you learned about elephants. Circle each word as you find it hidden among the letters in the word search. Refer to the worksheet for any terms whose meaning you dont remember.   African savanna  elephants live in the area of Africa below the Sahara desert. African forest elephants live in the rain forests of Central and West Africa.  The elephants that live in the African forest have smaller bodies and tusks than those that live on the savannas. Asian elephants live in the scrub and rain forests of Southwest Asia, India, and Nepal. Elephant Habitat Coloring Page (Print the PDF):  Review what youve learned about elephant Habitats. Distinguishing Between Asian and African Elephants There are many similarities between Asian and African elephants, but there are simple ways to distinguish one from the other. African elephants have much larger ears that seem to be shaped like the continent of Africa. They need large ears to cool off their bodies on the hot continent of Africa. Asian elephants ears are smaller and more rounded. African Elephant Coloring Page (Print the PDF) There is also a distinct difference in the shape of Asian and African elephants heads. Asian elephants heads are smaller than an African elephants head and have a double-dome shape. Both male and female African elephants can grow tusks, though not all do. Only male Asian elephants grow tusks. Asian Elephant Coloring Page (Print the PDF) The Asian elephant is smaller than the African elephant. Asian elephants live in jungle habitats. Its entirely different than the deserts of Africa. Water and vegetation are more plentiful in the jungle. So Asian elephants do not need wrinkled skin to trap moisture or large ears to fan their bodies. Even the trunks of Asian and African elephants are different. African elephants have two finger-like growths on the tip of their trunks; Asian elephants only have one. Elephant Family Coloring Page (Print the PDF): Do you think you can tell African and Asian elephants apart? Are these African elephants or Asian elephants? What are the identifying features? Elephant Diet Coloring Page (Print the PDF): All elephants are plant  eaters (herbivores). Adult elephants eat about 300 pounds of food a day. It takes a long time to find and eat 300 pounds of food. They spend 16 to 20 hours a day eating! Updated by Kris Bales