18th Amendment

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    Amendment 11

  • Temperance Movement

    Temperance Movement
    Temperance Movements pushed for abstinence from alcohol. At first, they pushed for moderation, but after several decades, the movement's focus changed to complete prohibition of alcohol consumption.
  • US Senate passes Volstead Act

    US Senate passes Volstead Act
    The US Senate passes the Volstead Act which is one big step to the passing of the 18th amendment. This Act also stated that owning any item designed to manufacture alcohol was illegal and set specific fines and jail sentences for violating Prohibition.
  • Ratified

    Ratified
    18th Amendment is ratified by 36 states and goes into effect on the federal level. Maine was the first state to apply Prohibition on December 6, 1933.
  • US Congree passes Volstead Act

    US Congree passes Volstead Act
    Volstead Act is passed by the US Congress and established the enforcement of prohibition. The Volstead Act stated that "beer, wine, or other intoxicating malt or vinous liquors" meant any beverage that was more than 0.5% alcohol by volume was prohibited.
  • Rebellion

    Rebellion
    Bootleggers such as Al Capone in Chicago highlight the darker side of prohibition. Al Capone was one of the best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the Prohibition era. Capone's most notorious killing was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14, 1929,
  • Stock Market Crash and Great Depression

    Stock Market Crash and Great Depression
    The Stock Market Crash and the beginning of the Great Depression started changing people's opinion. People needed jobs and the government needed money. Making alcohol legal would open up new jobs for citizens and make an additional sales tax for the government.
  • Fight against bootlegging

    Fight against bootlegging
    Elliot Ness begins in earnest to tackle violators of prohibition and Al Capone's gang in Chicago.
  • Hoover

    Hoover
    Herbert Hoover gives an acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination of president where he discussed the ills of prohibition and the need for its end.
  • Cullen-Harrison Act

    Cullen-Harrison Act
    Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Cullen-Harrison Act. This legalizes the manufacture and sale of certain alcohol.
  • Repealed by the 21st amendment

    Repealed by the 21st amendment
    Prohibition is repealed with the passing of the 21st amendment.