Vivian Marlowe
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 result of a decades-long temperance movement, which argued that banning alcohol would eliminate poverty and other societal issues. While the amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, it did not make consumption illegal. This led to the rise of bootlegging and speakeasies, which were capitalized on by organized crime. The amendment was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, making it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Eighteenth Amendment |
| Date proposed by Congress | December 18, 1917 |
| Date ratified | January 16, 1919 |
| Date repealed | December 5, 1933 |
| Ratified by | 46 out of 48 states |
| Enforced by | Volstead Act, or National Prohibition Act |
| Prohibited | manufacture, sale, transportation, and importation of alcoholic beverages |
| Did not prohibit | consumption of alcohol |
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What You'll Learn
The Eighteenth Amendment
The amendment did not ban the consumption of alcohol outright, but those caught selling, manufacturing, or distributing alcoholic beverages would be subject to arrest. The amendment superseded the many state and regional restrictions already in place, and it was enforced by Congress and the state legislatures, who had the power to enact appropriate legislation to enforce Prohibition.
To define the language used in the amendment and the means by which the government would enforce Prohibition, Congress enacted enabling legislation called the National Prohibition Act, better known as the Volstead Act, on October 28, 1919. The Volstead Act forbade the production, sale, transportation, or possession of beverages that contained 0.5% or greater alcohol by volume. It did not specifically prohibit drinking or purchasing alcoholic beverages, and it allowed persons to possess beverages that had been legally acquired. The Act also allowed the licensed production, use, and sale of alcohol for certain industrial, medicinal, religious, and scientific purposes, subject to state or local restrictions.
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The Volstead Act
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the country. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919. It was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on the sale of alcohol would improve society by reducing poverty and ameliorating other social problems.
The Eighteenth Amendment was followed by the Volstead Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, which was passed on October 28, 1919, and went into effect on January 16, 1920. The act was designed to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment by prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. It was named after Minnesota Rep. Andrew Volstead, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who championed the bill. The Volstead Act consisted of three main sections: the previously enacted War Prohibition, Prohibition as designated by the Eighteenth Amendment, and industrial alcohol use.
The failure of the Volstead Act and the rise of organized crime, along with economic factors such as the 1929 stock market crash, led to a general disenchantment with Prohibition by the end of the 1920s. The Eighteenth Amendment was eventually repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, marking the end of the nationwide moratorium on alcohol.
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![Ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States [1938]: State Convention Records and Laws](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71KMq9r2YgL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
The temperance movement
In the United States, the temperance movement resulted in the Eighteenth Amendment, which established the prohibition of alcohol. The amendment was passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919. It prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol but did not ban consumption outright. The Eighteenth Amendment was the culmination of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on alcohol would alleviate poverty and address various societal issues.
However, the amendment proved largely ineffective, as it was unable to prevent the mass distribution of alcoholic beverages and inadvertently led to a rise in organized crime. Prohibition gave rise to bootlegging, speakeasies, and criminal enterprises that reaped huge profits from the illicit liquor trade. By the end of the 1920s, support for Prohibition had waned, and it was ultimately repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933.
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The rise of organised crime
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol, was the result of decades of effort by the temperance movement. The movement, which had been gaining traction since the 1820s, argued that a ban on the sale of alcohol would improve various societal issues, including poverty and immoral behaviour. The amendment was passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919.
While the amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, it did not ban its consumption. This loophole, along with a general public desire to continue drinking, led to the emergence of black markets and organised crime syndicates. These criminal enterprises, often run by the Mafia and other gangs, controlled the illegal production and sale of liquor through "speakeasies" and "bootlegging".
The period of Prohibition also saw the emergence of modern American organised crime figures, such as Charles "Lucky" Luciano, who began his career in bootlegging and rose to become a multimillionaire and New York's top bootlegger by the mid-1920s. Other notable figures included Dutch Schultz, Owney Madden, and Waxey Gordon, who ran their operations with associates like Meyer Lansky and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.
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The Twenty-first Amendment
The Eighteenth Amendment, passed in 1919, was the result of a decades-long temperance movement, which argued that banning the sale of alcohol would eliminate poverty and improve various societal issues. The movement was bolstered by religious revivalism and supported by various groups, including women suffragists and industrialists. The Anti-Saloon League, founded in 1893, played a significant role in advocating for Prohibition at the local, state, and federal levels.
However, the Eighteenth Amendment proved largely ineffective and led to unintended consequences. While it initially appeared to have positive effects, with a decline in alcohol-related crimes, the amendment ultimately failed to prevent the mass distribution of alcoholic beverages. An underground market emerged, giving rise to bootlegging, speakeasies, and organised crime syndicates. Criminal organisations bribed police and politicians, and violent turf battles between gangs became common. The amendment also negatively impacted the economy, eliminating jobs in the alcohol industry, and contributed to a period of gangsterism.
By the end of the 1920s, support for Prohibition had waned, and it was ultimately repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933. The Twenty-first Amendment recognised that individual states had the authority to regulate or prohibit alcoholic beverages within their jurisdictions for reasons such as health or safety. This allowed for variations in state-level attitudes towards Prohibition, with Mississippi being the last state to lift its Prohibition-era laws in 1966.
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Frequently asked questions
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States.
The Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, transportation, sale, and importation of alcoholic beverages. However, it did not ban the consumption of alcohol outright.
The Eighteenth Amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by three-quarters of the nation's states on January 16, 1919.
