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The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as Prohibition, prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol. Proposed by Congress in 1917 and ratified by the requisite number of states in 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was the product of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on alcohol would eliminate poverty and ameliorate social problems. The amendment was enforced by the Volstead Act, which empowered the federal government to police the production, sale, transportation, and possession of alcohol. Despite the amendment, the consumption of alcohol continued, leading to the rise of bootlegging, speakeasies, and organised crime. Due to its limited effectiveness and negative consequences, the Eighteenth Amendment was eventually repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | Eighteenth Amendment (Amendment XVIII) |
| Date Proposed by Congress | December 18, 1917 |
| Date Ratified | January 16, 1919 |
| Ratified by | Three-quarters of the nation's states |
| Prohibited Activities | Production, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors |
| Did not Outlaw | Consumption of alcohol |
| Enforced by | Volstead Act |
| Repealed by | Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933 |
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What You'll Learn
The Eighteenth Amendment
Despite the Eighteenth Amendment, the nationwide enforcement of Prohibition proved difficult, particularly in cities. Alcohol smuggling (known as rum-running or bootlegging) and illicit bars (speakeasies) became popular in many areas. Bootlegging helped lead to the establishment of American organised crime, which persisted long after the repeal of Prohibition. The distribution of liquor was necessarily more complex than other types of criminal activity, and organised gangs arose that could control an entire local chain of bootlegging operations.
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The Volstead Act
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on January 16, 1919, established the prohibition of alcohol in the country. The amendment was the culmination of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which argued that banning alcohol would eliminate poverty and other societal issues such as immoral sexual behaviour and violence.
While the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the production, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors, it did not outlaw alcohol consumption. To enforce the amendment, Congress passed the Volstead Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, on October 28, 1919. President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the act, but Congress overrode his veto.
- War Prohibition: This section dealt with the prohibition of alcohol during wartime to conserve grain by prohibiting its use in the production of spirits.
- Permanent National Prohibition: This part defined "intoxicating beverages" as those containing more than 0.5% alcohol. It outlined penalties, including fines and jail sentences, for those involved in the manufacture, sale, or movement of alcoholic beverages. It also specified the powers of law enforcement regarding search and seizure.
- Industrial Alcohol Use: Alcohol for industrial purposes was permitted under this act.
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The Temperance Movement
The earliest temperance organizations were founded in Saratoga, New York, in 1808, and in Massachusetts in 1813. The Massachusetts Society for the Suppression of Intemperance (MSSI), formed in 1813, only accepted men of high social standing and encouraged moderation in alcohol consumption. The MSSI disbanded in 1820, but its methods of public abstinence pledges and meetings, as well as pamphlet distribution, were implemented by more lasting temperance societies such as the American Temperance Society. By 1833, there were 6,000 local societies in several U.S. states.
The movement was particularly influential in the United States, where it led to the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the production, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. The amendment was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement, which argued that prohibition would eliminate poverty and ameliorate social problems such as immoral sexual behavior and violence. The Eighteenth Amendment was eventually repealed in 1933 due to increasing public sentiment against Prohibition and the rise of illegal alcohol distribution.
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Anti-Saloon League
The Anti-Saloon League (ASL), now known as the American Council on Addiction and Alcohol Problems, was a key component of the Progressive Era temperance movement in the United States. Founded in 1893 in Oberlin, Ohio, it was initially established as an Ohio state society, but its influence spread rapidly and it became a national organization in 1895. The ASL drew most of its support from Protestant ministers and their congregations, especially Methodists, Baptists, Disciples, and Congregationalists.
The ASL was the leading organization lobbying for prohibition in the early 20th century. It concentrated on legislation and lobbied at all levels of government for laws to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of intoxicating beverages. The ASL used oratory, campaigning, lobbying, and the printed word to reach its goal of a saloonless society. They published thousands of fliers, pamphlets, songs, stories, cartoons, dramas, magazines, and newspapers to promote the temperance cause. The ASL also used emotion based on patriotism, efficiency, and anti-German sentiment during World War I. They saw themselves as preachers fulfilling their religious duty of eliminating liquor in America.
The ASL was most successful in rural and Southern states, but made little headway in larger cities or among liturgical church members such as Catholics, Jews, Episcopalians, and German Lutherans. In Arizona, for example, League members pressured local police to take licenses from establishments that violated closing hours or served women and minors, and they provided witnesses to testify about these violations. However, the Phoenix chapter was stymied by local-option elections, which allowed local areas to decide whether to allow saloons.
The ASL's triumph was nationwide prohibition locked into the Constitution with the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1919. After the adoption of the 18th Amendment, the League sought strict enforcement of the Prohibition laws. However, the amendment's effects were long-lasting, leading to increases in crime and the proliferation of illegal alcohol distribution through speakeasies, bootlegging, and illegal distilling operations. Public sentiment began to turn against Prohibition during the 1920s, and the amendment was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment on December 5, 1933, making it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed. After the repeal, the ASL ceased to be a force in American politics and merged into the National Temperance League.
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Bootlegging
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919, prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. This amendment was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on alcohol would eliminate poverty and ameliorate social problems such as immoral sexual behavior and violence.
Despite the amendment, the consumption of alcohol did not stop, and bootlegging, or the illegal business of smuggling alcoholic beverages, became prevalent. The term "bootlegging" is believed to have originated in the 1880s when white Midwesterners would conceal flasks of liquor in their boot tops while trading with Native Americans. During the Prohibition era, thousands of people engaged in bootlegging, smuggling alcohol into the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The smugglers would meet ships from places like the Bahamas and Cuba outside the 3-mile limit where the U.S. government lacked jurisdiction and transfer the alcohol to high-powered craft designed to outrun the Coast Guard.
In addition to smuggled alcohol, bootleggers also supplied "medicinal" whiskey sold with real or forged prescriptions and illegally diverted denatured alcohol that had been mixed with chemicals to make it unfit for drinking. They also bottled their concoctions of spurious liquor, which could be dangerously impure and sometimes even lead to blindness, paralysis, or death.
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Frequently asked questions
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol.
The Eighteenth Amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919, when Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the amendment.
The Eighteenth Amendment was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on alcohol would eliminate poverty and ameliorate social problems. The Anti-Saloon League, founded in 1893, was the organization most responsible for the amendment's proposal and ratification.
Yes, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, due to a general disenchantment with the policy.
