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Washingtonian Movement Founded
On April 2, 1840 the Washingtonian Movement began with a few friends at a bar who vowed to stop drinking in Chase's Tavern in Baltimore, Maryland. This group marked an early organization to deal with problem drinking, and was a predecessor to Alcoholics Anonymous. -
Maine Law Passed
On June 2, 1851, Maine became the first dry state, passing a law to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages. Soon afterwards, "Maine laws" spread to other states, and more and more states began implementing prohibition at the state level, helping the movement spread. Activist Neal Dow played a big role in the passage of this law. -
Prohibition Party Has Its First National Convention
On February 22, 1872 the Prohibition Party had its first national convention. Founded in 1869, this political party was dedicated to opposing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. During the Prohibition Era, the Prohibition Party pushed for stricter enforcement of prohibition laws. It is currently the oldest third-party in the United States today. -
Women's Christian Temperance Union Founded
On December 23, 1973 prohibition supporter Frances Willard founded the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), an organization dedicated to Christian-inspired social reform. One of the primary goals of the WCTU was to remove alcohol from society and morally uplift all Americans. -
Anti-Saloon League Founded
In 1893, the Anti-Saloon League was founded. This lobbying organization was dedicated to influencing legislators nationwide to support prohibition laws. The Anti-Saloon League quickly became the most powerful prohibition lobby in the United States, overtaking the Women's Christian Temperance Union and helping to lead the charge against alcohol in America. -
Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution Ratified
On February 3, 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, legalizing a personal income tax. Part of the reason the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified was to set the stage for prohibition. Since the American government gained a lot of revenue from alcohol sales, the passage of the income tax made prohibition possible by offering another source of money for the federal government. Passage of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 thus made possible the Eighteenth Amendment years later. -
United States enters World War I
On April 6, 1917 the United States entered World War I. In World War I, the United States fought Germans. Anti-German sentiment spread throughout the United States, and since many Germans made beer, support for prohibition increased during wartime. -
Food and Fuel Control Act
Also known as the Lever Act, the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 rationed grain for the war effort. This act allowed President Woodrow Wilson to limit the use of agricultural products to make alcohol. Grain that would have been used to make whiskey was instead used in the war effort. This wartime prohibition act marked another step towards prohibition. -
Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution Ratified
On January 16, 1919 the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constiution was ratified, prohibiting alcohol in the United States. The amendment went into effect a year later. -
Volstead Act Passed
On October 28, 1919 the United States Congress passed the Volstead Act, legislated that guided the enforcement of prohibition. The Volstead Act set strict guidelines for prohibition enforcement. -
Prohibition Begins
On January 17, 1920 enforcement of prohibition began in the United States, starting the fourteen year prohibition experiment. -
Increased Penalties Act
The Increased Penalties Act, also known as the Volstead Act, increased penalties for individuals who broke prohibition laws. Attempts to more strictly enforce prohibition occured because of the number of Americans ignoring these laws. Prohibition was very unpopular with many Americans, and illegal drinking occured frequently throughout prohibition. This law transformed many prohibition-associated crimes from misdemeanors to felonies, sparking outrage by many Americans. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash of October 24, 1929, marked the beginning of the Great Depression in the United States. As Americans suffered and unemployment rose, Americans looked to end prohibition. With so many Americans out of work, the alcohol industry offered potential jobs to unemployed Americans, and alcohol provided much-needed solace for Americans in crisis. -
1931 - Al Capone indicted on tax invasion charges
Indicted on Tax Invasion in 1931, Al Capone would serve 11 years in Federal prison. After a decade of murder, bootlegging, illegal gambling, and prostitution, the Federal government finally caught Capone on charges of tax invasion. It is estimated that during the height of prohibition, Capone was earning around 100 million dollars a year. -
Inauguration of Hebert Hoover
In his acceptance speech for the Republican Party nominee for President of the United States in 1932, Hoover advocated for the end of Probitition. -
Beer-Wine Revenue Act
The Beer-Wine Revenue Act modified the Volstead Act which set guidlines for the enforcement of prohibition. With the Beer-Wine Revenue Act, passed along with many of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, allowed the sale of beer and wine throughout the United States. This was a significant step towards the end of prohibition in the United States. -
21st Amendment Ratified
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified, marking the end of prohibition. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, and alcohol became legal in the United States once again.
End of Prohibition News Reel
