Sunde Randle Mrs. Vance Essay #5 – Cause or Effect 31 October 2018 Effect Long ago, Phenix City was known as the “Red Light District.” The city got its name because of the corrupt government and rampant crime. The police force seemed to ignore the problems faced by the city (McDowell). It wasn’t until Albert Patterson came along and fought against the corruption and was murdered, that the National Guard became involved. The National Guard enforced Martial law and shut the city down (Barnes).
The city had a major fall but is now on an uprising. There were several effects from the Sin City Era on Phenix City, Alabama.
One of the effects on the Sin City Era was gambling. At the time gambling basically ran the city. People from all over the country would come to Phenix City to partake in the gambling activities. With people coming from all over, it allowed more money into the city. The churches in the city were a part of the activities also because gambling essentially helped pay their mortgages.
The gambling rings used prostitutes/hookers to entice soldiers to come inside of the casinos to gamble. Children were even involved in the gambling activities. Although the casinos were illegal, police officers and the leaders of the city turned the blind eye because they were paid off and allowed the casinos to prosper (Sinclair Broadcast Group). Another effect on the Sin City Era was violence. Violence was a big part of what kept the town moving. The group who fell victim to violence the most, were fort benning soldiers, even the strongest of them all.
Soldiers would go to the casinos to gamble and have a few drinks but were never prepared for the worst. The unlucky soldiers would have their drinks spiked and have their money stolen from them, but when they tried to escape they were often beaten and sometimes killed (Rawls).
It is said that if you empty the Chattahoochee River there is no way of telling how many bodies are at the bottom of it. Bodies were dumped into the river very often (Barnes). The last effect on the Sin City Era was prostitution. Prostitution was the biggest source of entertainment of this era. There were about five prostitution rings which were operated by local businesses. The prostitutes were often found by prostitution kingpen leaders. Some women even sold themselves as a side job for money. Female Escorts were told to go into the local cafes and find drunk soldiers and to bring them into the casinos to spend their money (Barnes). Women would worked at the casinos stood outside of them and enticed soldiers to come inside. Somehow these women were able to get the soldiers to spend every last cent they had (Sinclair Broadcast Group). There were several effects of the Sin City Era on Phenix City, Alabama.
This was one of the most dangerous time periods to have lived in. Thankfully someone wanted to fight for what was right and go against all the illegal activity. People who are still alive who grew up in the city have seen their city reconstruct itself and change for the better. Any crime that occurs should be punished and never tolerated.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
