Colonial accounts depict how the alcohol trade destabilized Indian communities in colonial British America during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Despite the social costs of alcohol use within Indian communities, liquor remained a staple of Indian-colonist trade, perhaps because it facilitated the conquest of eastern North America. (LP)

Discusses drug use in U.S. history. Argues that a "get-tough" approach did not work in the past and will not work in the future. Suggests that history can provide a scholarly assessment of drugs, foster understanding of drugs in contemporary society, and enable students to evaluate drug policies more objectively. (DK)

The history of Aboriginal production and use of alcohol prior to white contact reveals that alcohol use originated in Central America and rapidly diffused to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. However, Aboriginal alcohol use was generally controlled and supervised during ceremonies, and only after white contact did alcohol use…

Discusses Black on Black crime and provides evidence that it is directly linked to American societal problems. Covers the following historical and societal influences: (1) the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow; (2) Black migration and disorder in cities; (3) the use of alcohol and drugs; and (4) policing of the Black ghetto. (JS)