Prohibition DBQ

In this document-based worksheet, students analyze three primary sources related to the Prohibition era, including an excerpt from the 18th Amendment, a temperance supporter’s letter, and a 1928 newspaper report. For each document, students answer a targeted question that requires them to interpret the author’s viewpoint, purpose, or claims about society during Prohibition. After completing the document questions, students write a mini-DBQ paragraph using evidence from at least two sources to answer whether Prohibition was doomed to fail. This activity strengthens students’ skills in sourcing, contextualizing, and citing evidence from historical documents. By synthesizing multiple perspectives, learners practice historical argumentation using clear and complete sentences.

Curriculum Matched Skills

Social Studies – Analysis of Primary Source Documents

Social Studies – Evidence-Based Historical Argumentation

English Language Arts – Constructed Response Writing

Social Studies – Understanding the Social Impact of Prohibition

This worksheet is part of our Prohibition Era Worksheets collection.