Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between

Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between

Share this post

Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between
Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between
Feature Essay: Discovering the Inner Bootlegger

Feature Essay: Discovering the Inner Bootlegger

Mabel Walker Willebrandt prosecuted Prohibition offenders with zeal. Then she joined the bootleggers.

Kathryn Smith's avatar
Kathryn Smith
May 23, 2021
∙ Paid

Share this post

Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between
Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between
Feature Essay: Discovering the Inner Bootlegger
Share

The job of prosecuting offenders during Prohibition was about as popular as prosecuting tax offenders and running the federal prison system. No wonder President Warren G. Harding appointed a woman to handle all three tasks. And not just any woman. Mabel Walker Willebrandt, who was born this day in 1889, became one of the most famous women in America for…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Baptists, Bootleggers, and Everything in Between to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Kathryn Smith
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share