Hospitality Management in North-Eastern US during 1900 -1950 - Coursework Example

Hospitality Management in North-Eastern US during 1900 -1950 Hospitality is concerned with the relationship between a guest and the host. In this relation, hospitality refers to the special treatment accorded to the guest by their host. On the other hand, hospitality management refers to practices or efforts that are meant to enhance sustainable in offering special care to guests (Vygotsky 254). This involves methods of ensuring that both the guest and the host have a beneficial relationship. Specifically, hospitality management starts from reception of guests to entertainment including food and accommodation. The guest can be a person or a group of person while the host can be a person, an organization, or a geographical region. This essay will analyse hospitality management in relation to the North Eastern US during 1900 -1950. The North Eastern region of the US is the northern states that boarders the Pacific Ocean. This region covers the current states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, and New York. The region is the most populous region of the United States with approximately 27.6% of the total United States population. The North Eastern region boarders the Pacific Ocean and it had the first encounter with European immigrants. During the beginning of the twentieth century, the region was significant in development and urbanization. Due to its strategic location, this region attracted many developments and industrialization making it to have a significant role in the US economy during the early 1900s. Due to the rapid development experienced in this region during the dawn of the twentieth century, the region developed into a high-income region. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the population of the region accounted for 27.6% of the total United States population; however, the population declined to 26.1% in the 1950s. The geographical region of this place and its nearness to the Pacific Ocean made seafood to become a delicacy of the people. People of this region had all the time to experiment with different sea creatures that are not contained in a traditional seafood menu. The calmness of the Pacific Ocean at the North Eastern coasts enhanced harvesting of different sea creatures that have remained a delicacy of the people for a long time. With the availability of a variety of sea creatures, people sought methods of preparing different types of food that consist of other foodstuff. Chowder is among the most favourite dish that was unique in this region. It was difficult to find this dish in any part of the country. The dish was prepared using potatoes, onions, and seafood. Although chowder was generally an amazing dish that characterized the North Eastern region, there was a slight variation across different states. These variations resulted from the different alternative foods that were combined with the seafood to produce the dish. In 1939, the local authorities in Maine passed a law that made it illegal for people to add tomatoes to clam chowder. These laws ensured that people maintained the traditional methods of preparing clam chowder. Lobster is the most popular sea creature in America. Lobsters became popular on American tables during the dawn of the twentieth century although the creature had been a delicacy long before. The region was also significant for the production of lobsters since most of the lobsters sold or consumed by the US population originated from this region. Harvesting of lobsters is not as easy as harvesting other sea creatures and fish. Trapping lobsters requires special skills that can only be acquired through the right experience. The region was known to have the best lobster trappers. The weight and the size of a lobster also depended or determined the skill of a trapper. The North Eastern region lobster hunters consider a lobster that weighs 4-5 pounds as a small lobster. This is because they are used to trapping large lobsters that are difficult to trap. Traditionally, oars or sails propelled lobster hunter’s wooden boats. The discovery and development of small gasoline engines revolutionized the lobster business by increasing speed and efficiency. The development in the hospitality industry also saw the need to introduce adventure on how people prepare and serve their foods. Selling of live lobsters became a common practice among lobster trappers and people working in the hotel industry. In order to maintain the life of the creatures, trappers replaced the traditional hooks and nets with a wooden parlour trap. This new device ensured that trappers could sell lobsters to their final consumers while they are still alive. Cooking the creature was the most interesting part of the whole business and any stranger in the region would be mesmerized by how the spiky creature could be transformed into a delicious meal. Most people preferred being served with lobsters that appeared or looked like live creatures. Other than the seafood, the North Eastern region was also known for its brewing business. Alcohol had been part of the natives of this region and it attracted many visitors. Brewing of alcohol was a characteristic of the North Eastern region that identified the people with their native European countries (Rokeach 18). Different brews or brands had strong roots that depended on the origin of the people of a particular state. Drinking of alcohol is considered as a form of entertainment although different people drink alcohol for different purposes or reasons. The entertainment aspect of drinking alcohol is the main factor that might have attracted visitors to this region. However, the brewing industry suffered a major setback when the parliament passed the 18th Amendment that banned production and distribution of alcohol (Blair 98). The ban was placed in 1919 before it was lifted in 1933. The different reasons that people had for consumption of alcohol are the main factor that led to the ban of alcohol production and distribution. In some states, alcohol was considered to have therapeutic value leading to an early lifting of the ban. In the states where production and distribution of alcohol remained prohibited, the mafia societies were the main beneficiaries. The black market became a lucrative business for alcohol production and distribution. Different mafia communities maintained a constant supply and production of alcohol despite the ban. Visitors from other regions were able to enjoy their favourite brews despite the ban imposed by the government on the production and distribution of alcohol. Local authorities were quick to note the channels through which people were getting alcohol despite the government having placed a ban on the production of alcohol. Although the mafia groups that produced and distributed alcohol maintained high secrecy in their business, security officials could easily identify production units. Illegal breweries became the target of security officials who were out to fight consumption of alcohol. It is believed that the illegalization of alcohol made it become more attractive among drinkers. People were not ready to give up their drinking habit. This maintained a steady demand that required a steady supply of alcohol. Eliminating illegal brewing became an uphill task for the government and security officials. To add a string in the efforts of fighting alcohol production and consumption, the government declared drinking alcohol as illegal. A person would therefore be branded as a criminal for drinking his or her favourite brew. The government became an enemy of the people as far as alcohol production and consumption was concerned. The criminalization of drinking alcohol had negative effects on the business in the long-term. This is because criminalization of alcohol consumption reduced the demand of alcohol leading to a slowdown in production. After the initial wave of low business, the business was revived by alcohol that came from the Caribbean. Gangsters smuggling alcohol from the Caribbean had a good business that maintained the alcohol industry from initial threats of collapse. The alcohol industry was also revived by alcohol from Canada, which proved to be cheaper than Caribbean alcohol. In addition, federal prohibition officers were poorly paid luring them into corruption. Corrupt official allowed alcohol to be shipped into the country from Canada and Caribbean islands. Before the ban on alcohol was lifted, most brewers had revived their businesses that operated undercover. A homemade liquor that became known as moonshine enabled alcohol lovers to maintain their drinking habits since it could be prepared easily. Moonshine later came to be known as the white whiskey and it was popular in New York. Moonshine could be prepared from locally available products such as water, sugar and crushed grains. The recipe for preparing the brew was simple and most people in the region could easily prepare the product that would later be consumed within a home or shared among neighbours. The ease of producing moonshine enhanced the survival of the brew since it was beyond the reach of prohibition officials (Bennett 112). It was absurd for security officials to ransack all homesteads in search of moonshine. In addition, moonshine was prepared by compact apparatus that were available in the local markets. The production apparatus consisted of a boiling can that contained the liquor solution and a condensation pipe that allowed the harvesting or cooling of moonshine. The prohibition era was significant to alcohol lovers. Alcohol drinking was considered, as a celebration and alcohol drinking parties were rampant although they remained as undercover affairs. The prohibition era had a lot of negativity to the population of northeastern region and the hospitality industry was greatly affected. Firstly, alcohol drinking proved to be a disrespect of the law. Christianity supported the prohibition era and therefore people’s defiance demonstrated disrespect to the religion. Alcohol demand promoted organized crime and gangs that have persisted to modern day. Rise of corruption among security officials also has its roots in the prohibition era. Due to the consequences of drinking alcohol people adopted bad drinking habits that persisted to the modern day. In addition, cigarette smoking become complementally to drinking alcohol making it to become a national habit. During the prohibition era, alcohol prices increased sharply making it a product of the rich people. Millions of dollars were therefore spent on alcohol instead of being placed on beneficial investments. Alcohol lovers of the US consider World War I as a blessing. During the Great Depressions that followed World War I, people took to the streets demanding legalization of alcohol. The protesters claimed that it was impossible for laws and policies to control human appetite. The protesters also claimed that they were tired of being branded as criminals due to alcohol consumption. Conclusion The North Eastern region of the US has had a unique hospitality. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the region remained instrumental to the US hospitality industry. Seafood and alcohol were major attraction of the region. Different states had different recipes for preparing their favourite seafood and brews. The lobster remained as a delicacy of the people of this region with different states having different preparation methods. Alcohol consumption and production was banned in the early decades of the century before being legalized at the height of World War II. Maintained alcohol production and consumption during the ban proved that it is difficult to separate people from their native habits. Works Cited Bennett, Michael. When Dreams Come True: The GI Bill and the Making of Modern America. New York: Sage, 1999. Print. Blair, Henry. The temperance movement: the conflict between man and alcohol. New York: Snippet, 1988. Print. Rokeach, Milton. The nature of human values. New York: Free Press, 1973. Print. Vygotsky, Rally Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, UK: Harvard University Press. 1978. Print. Read More