Noah Vinter
From 1907 to 1966, Mississippi was the only US state with a ban on alcohol. In 1966, Mississippi became the last state to repeal its statewide Prohibition law, with many counties choosing to remain dry. The state's unique stance on alcohol can be traced back to its early efforts to limit or prohibit alcohol sales, with the Mississippi State Temperance Society dating back to 1833. Despite the nationwide repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Mississippi maintained its ban on alcohol for over three decades, showcasing a strong commitment to temperance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| State with ban on alcohol from 1907-1966 | Mississippi |
| Year ban on alcohol started | 1907 |
| Year ban on alcohol ended | 1966 |
| Number of years ban was in place | 59 |
| Status of ban in 1934 and 1952 | Overturned by voters |
| Year of first statewide Prohibition law | 1907 |
| Status of high gravity beer ban until 2012 | In place |
| First state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment | Mississippi |
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What You'll Learn
Mississippi's alcohol ban
Efforts to limit or prohibit the sale of alcohol in Mississippi have a long and complex history. The state's journey towards alcohol prohibition can be traced back to the pre-Civil War era, with the emergence of the Mississippi State Temperance Society in 1833. The society advocated for alcohol prohibition, and was later joined by the Sons of Temperance and Sisters of Temperance in the late 1840s. Following the Civil War, more forceful prohibition societies emerged, including the Anti-Saloon League and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).
The first successful effort to limit the sale of alcohol in Mississippi was in 1874, with a law that required anyone selling alcohol to obtain a license from a majority of the area's registered voters and all women over the age of fourteen. The movement towards statewide prohibition gained momentum in the early twentieth century, with the passage of a local-option law in 1907. This law allowed individual counties to decide whether to prohibit the sale of alcohol within their jurisdictions. By the early 1900s, the sale of alcohol was illegal or severely restricted in most of Mississippi's counties, except those along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast.
In 1907, after concerted efforts from Governors Andrew Longino and Edmond Noel, the Mississippi legislature passed a strict bill prohibiting the sale of alcohol across the entire state. This bill, which took effect in 1908, allowed some exceptions for medicinal purposes and homemade wine production. Mississippi was the first state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1918, which formalised alcohol prohibition nationwide. Despite the national repeal of prohibition in 1933, Mississippi retained its ban on alcohol, becoming the last state to fully repeal prohibition in 1966.
Even after the statewide ban was lifted in 1966, many Mississippi counties chose to remain "dry", continuing to prohibit alcohol sales within their jurisdictions. It wasn't until 2021 that statewide prohibition officially ended, with legislation legalising alcohol consumption in every county. However, Mississippi's alcohol laws remain complex and varied, with county governments balancing the interests of religion, health, education, business, tourism, and personal freedom.
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The Eighteenth Amendment
Public sentiment towards the amendment gradually turned negative during the 1920s, with Franklin D. Roosevelt calling for its repeal during his 1932 presidential campaign. The amendment was eventually repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, making it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be fully repealed.
The state of Mississippi played a notable role in the enforcement and repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. It passed its first statewide Prohibition law in 1907 and was the first state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment. However, Mississippi was also the last state to repeal its statewide Prohibition law in 1966, almost three decades after the national repeal of Prohibition.
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The temperance movement
The earliest temperance organizations were founded in Saratoga, New York, in 1808, and in Massachusetts in 1813, with the formation of the Massachusetts Society for the Suppression of Intemperance (MSSI). The movement spread rapidly under the influence of the churches, and by 1833, there were 6,000 local societies across several US states. The first international temperance organization was the Order of Good Templars, formed in 1851 in Utica, New York.
In the United States, the temperance movement began at a national level in the 1820s, popularized by evangelical reformers and the middle classes. The movement advocated for temperance rather than abstinence and took positions on religious issues such as observance of the Sabbath. It was also characterized by an emphasis on good citizenship and moral reform for the new republic. With the Second Great Awakening, an evangelical Protestant religious revival of the 1820s and 1830s, social movements aimed for a perfect society, including abolitionism and temperance.
Mississippi, the state that banned alcohol from 1907 to 1966, was at the forefront of the temperance movement in the US. It was the first state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting alcohol sales nationwide, and the last state to repeal its statewide prohibition law in 1966.
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Dry states and counties
In the United States, a dry state refers to a state in which the manufacture, distribution, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages are prohibited or tightly restricted. While no state remains completely dry today, several states, such as North Dakota, entered the union as dry states, and others became dry after the passage of prohibition legislation or the Volstead Act.
The temperance movement, which advocated for prohibition, began in the 1840s, led by religious groups, especially the Methodists. The first major success of the movement came when legislatures passed local-option laws, allowing counties to prohibit the sale of alcohol. By the early 20th century, the sale of alcohol was illegal or seriously restricted in a large majority of Mississippi's counties, with those along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast being the primary exceptions.
In 1907, Mississippi became the first state to pass a statewide Prohibition law, which went into effect in 1908. This law allowed druggists to sell alcohol for medicinal purposes and people to make and drink homemade wine, while penalizing liquor sales with fines and jail terms. In 1913, nine states had statewide prohibition, and 31 others had local-option laws, impacting over 50% of the US population.
Mississippi was also the first state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1918, which banned the sale of alcohol nationwide. However, it was the last state to repeal its Prohibition law in 1966, almost three decades after the Twenty-first Amendment repealed nationwide prohibition in 1933. Even after the repeal, many Mississippi counties chose to remain dry, and the state maintained a ban on high-gravity beer until 2012.
Today, while no state is entirely dry, several counties and communities, mainly in the South, continue to be dry, where people must drive to nearby jurisdictions to purchase alcohol, and bars are not permitted. These dry counties exist within a patchwork of varying alcohol laws across the country, with state governments primarily concerned with addressing drunk driving and alcoholism.
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Alcohol prohibition's impact
The state of Mississippi had a ban on alcohol from 1907 to 1966. Mississippi passed its first statewide Prohibition law in 1907 and was the first state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the sale of alcohol across the United States. The impact of alcohol prohibition in Mississippi and across the country had several consequences.
Economic Impact
The economic effects of Prohibition were largely negative. Industries such as clothing, household goods, real estate, and entertainment expected to benefit from the law change, but none of it came to pass. Restaurants failed as they could no longer serve alcohol, and theater revenues declined. Prohibition also had a negative impact on the alcohol industry, eliminating jobs in what was then the fifth-largest industry in the United States.
Public Health Impact
Prohibition had a mixed impact on public health. On one hand, rates of liver cirrhosis, alcoholic psychosis, and infant mortality declined. On the other hand, the trade in unregulated alcohol led to serious health consequences. The lucrative nature of the illegal alcohol trade led to a decline in the quality of alcohol on the black market, resulting in an average of 1,000 Americans dying each year from tainted liquor during Prohibition.
Law Enforcement Impact
The large sums of money exchanged during Prohibition proved corrupting for law enforcement, including the federal Bureau of Prohibition, state, and local agencies. Many police officers and Prohibition agents were bribed or tempted by the opportunity to enter the bootlegging business themselves. This corruption undermined public trust in law enforcement during this era.
Social Impact
Prohibition supporters, known as "drys", saw it as a battle for public morals and health. They aimed to address alcohol-related problems such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and political corruption. However, Americans found loopholes and illegal methods to obtain alcohol, leading to the emergence of black markets and crime syndicates. Additionally, local laws and county-level variations in alcohol policies during and after Prohibition made it challenging for visitors and even residents to understand and comply with the regulations.
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Frequently asked questions
Mississippi.
The Wartime Prohibition Act.
Maine, in 1851.
The Cullen-Harrison Act.
The Prohibition movement, also known as the dry crusade.
