Social classes collide over morality and social propriety in a brand-new state

Well before the Volstead (or National Prohibition) Act of 1919, Oklahoma was dry. Oklahomans banned liquor at their state's inception in 1907 and maintained the ban even after the repeal of national prohibition. In this book, James E. Klein examines the social and cultural conflicts that led Oklahomans to outlaw liquor and discusses the economic and political consequences of the ban.

Grappling with Demon Rum identifies who favored and who opposed prohibition, showing that its...