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America’s relationship with alcohol [Timeline]

Alcohol has been present in the United States since before it became a country. In that time, the people’s relationship with the substance has been multifaceted. From local watering holes marking the stirring of resistance against the British Empire, to the rise of speakeasies during Prohibition, to the proliferation of American cocktails abroad, alcohol is as much a part of American history as the stars and stripes. And the relationship has not always been an easy one.

Toasting became illegal in Massachusetts in 1663, temperance groups advocated against its consumption, and anarchy was associated with alcohol after the assassination of President McKinley. The debate around Americans and booze continues to this day. The “stroller bans” from 2008 sparked conversations around the place of parents and their children in bars. The debate isn’t over, and the United States’ relationship with alcohol is sure to continue to change in the coming centuries.

Featured image credit: “Beer” by Martin Garrido. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.

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