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Temperance Movement
Banning alcohol had been on the minds of the people long before it actually happened. Many believed that alcohol was connected to insanity, poverty, and evil. The movement gained momentum. -
Proposal
On August 1st, the Senate passed a resolution to present to the states for ratification. Many were in favor and the House of Representatives passed a revised resolution on December 17, 1917. -
Ratification of the 18th
The ratification was completed when Nebraska became the 36th of the 48 amendments to ratify it. Secretary of State Frank L. Polk certified the ratification on January 29. This banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alchohol. This law went into effect in 1920. -
Volstead Act Passed by Congress
The Volstead act was passed by congress in 1919. This allowed the government to enforce the 18th amendment. It defined criminal penalties, exceptions, and levels of alchohol that are defined as "intoxicating." It also said that owning any item to make alcohol is illegal. -
Organized Crime
As alcohol became illegal, there was an increase of organized crime as people began smuggling and making alcohol. People like Al Capone were large figures in this time period. -
Speakeasies become popular.
Speakeasies were bars that illegally sold alchohol during prohibition. People would go here to hide out and drink alcohol without being caught. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression had a major impact on the country. The huge illegal market for alcohol hurt the economy. Many believed that the economy would have benefited from the legal taxation of alcohol, provided that prohibition wouldn't have been in effect. -
The Cullen-Harrison Act
The Cullen-Act goes into effect after being signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. This legalized the sale of alcohol in the United States of America. -
Repealing of the 18th amendment
The 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st on this date. It remains the only amendment to the constitution to be repealed. -
Effects and aftermath of prohibition
The government realized that banning alcohol did not solve any of the problems it created. People who had favored prohibition eventually changed their minds after seeing everything that had happened. It created too vast of an underground market and too much crime in the nation.
