Michael Lewis: The Coming of Southern Prohibition

Step Back in Time: A Prohibition-Era Night with Author Michael Lewis Join us for an eventful evening as Michael Lewis takes us on a journey through the dry days of the Prohibition era. Marvel at the unique bottles of the period while we delve into the fascinating history of Southern Prohibition with his book, "The Coming of Southern Prohibition". Bring your own Prohibition-era bottles to show off and let's uncork the past together! The Coming of Southern Prohibition examines South Carolina’s state-run liquor dispensary system from 1893-1907. The first of its kind in North America, the South Carolina Dispensary promised a middle of the road solution to liquor policy, allowing people to drink but eliminating the side effects of gambling, drunkenness and prostitution associated with saloons. Lewis’ book tells the political rise and demise of the dispensary through the lens of how it played out in the town of North Augusta. Initially the town’s location across the river from Augusta Georgia (a dry city) created a financial windfall. Within a few years the political corruption associated with the dispensary led voters to adopt prohibition. Michael Lewis is a professor of Sociology at Christopher Newport University in Newport News Virginia. He studies historical changes in alcohol regulation in the United States with a particular focus on state regulatory systems. In addition to “The Coming of Southern Prohibition” he is the coeditor of “Prohibition’s Greatest Myths: The Distilled Truth about America’s Anti-Alcohol Crusade.” Mr. Lewis will have his books available for purchase and be available to sign them.