Expired Amendments: Understanding Our Evolving Constitution

The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the production, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors, is no longer in effect. It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, making it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed. The road to its repeal was paved by the public sentiment turning against Prohibition by the late 1920s, the onset of the Great Depression, and the efforts of the nonpartisan Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA).

Explore related products

The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence

$1.99 $6.95

Nullified (Vigilante Series)

$10.99

The Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution

The Eighteenth Amendment (Amendment XVIII) to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919. It prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation or exportation thereof from the United States and all territories subject to its jurisdiction for beverage purposes.

The Eighteenth Amendment was the product of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which held that a ban on the sale of alcohol would eliminate poverty and ameliorate other societal problems. The Anti-Saloon League (ASL), founded in 1893 in Oberlin, Ohio, started a campaign in 1906 to ban the sale of alcohol at the state level. They argued that prohibition would inspire new forms of sociability, create happier families, reduce workplace accidents, and improve the world. The amendment was also supported by a coalition of racists, progressives, suffragists, populists, and nativists, who used the prohibition impulse to advance ideologies and causes that had little to do with alcohol.

The Eighteenth Amendment was in effect for 13 years, from January 16, 1920, to December 5, 1933. During this time, there was a significant reduction in alcohol consumption, particularly among low-income groups, and fewer hospitalizations for alcoholism and liver-related medical problems. However, consumption soon climbed again as illegal importation and production of alcoholic beverages occurred on a large-scale nationwide. The rise of home-distilled alcohol led to as many as 10,000 deaths from wood alcohol (methanol) poisoning. While there was an initial reduction in crimes associated with drunkenness, the murder rate rose to record highs due to gangland killings, and overall crime increased by 24%.

Public sentiment turned against Prohibition by the late 1920s, and the Great Depression hastened its demise, as opponents argued that the ban on alcohol denied jobs to the unemployed and revenue to the government. In 1932, Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt called for its repeal, and his victory in November led to the end of Prohibition. The Eighteenth Amendment was officially repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933, making it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed.

Prohibition

The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol in the country, is no longer in effect. Proposed by Congress in 1917 and ratified by the requisite number of states in 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the production, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors. However, it did not outlaw the consumption of alcohol.

The amendment was the culmination of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which believed that banning the sale of alcohol would reduce poverty and societal issues. However, the implementation of Prohibition had unintended consequences. While it was intended to curb alcohol consumption, it instead drove the production and sale of alcohol underground, leading to a rise in organised crime and the emergence of sophisticated criminal enterprises, such as the Mafia, that profited from the illicit liquor trade.

Public sentiment began to turn against Prohibition during the 1920s, and the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression further hastened its demise. Opponents of Prohibition argued that the ban denied jobs to the unemployed and deprived the government of much-needed revenue. The efforts of the nonpartisan Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA) also contributed to growing public disillusionment with Prohibition.

In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic presidential nominee, included a plan to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment in his platform. Roosevelt's victory in November 1932 sealed the fate of Prohibition. In February 1933, Congress proposed the Twenty-first Amendment, which officially repealed Prohibition and modified the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer. The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified and added to the U.S. Constitution in December 1933, marking the end of Prohibition in the United States.

The repeal of Prohibition was significant as it was the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed. It also had economic implications, with the end of Prohibition credited for creating approximately half a million jobs. Additionally, the Twenty-first Amendment granted states broad powers over the regulation of alcohol, and many states continue to delegate authority over alcohol to their municipalities and counties.

The Twenty-first Amendment

However, the Eighteenth Amendment led to a profitable black market for alcohol, fuelling the rise of organised crime. As many Americans continued to drink, public sentiment turned against Prohibition by the late 1920s, and the Great Depression further hastened its demise. The Twenty-first Amendment officially ended Prohibition on December 5, 1933, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt issuing a proclamation expressing his trust in the American people to "not bring upon themselves the curse of excessive use of intoxicating liquors to the detriment of health, morals, and social integrity."

Despite the repeal of Prohibition, several states continued to be ""dry states" in the years following, and some still closely regulate the distribution of alcohol. Section 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment gives states the power to regulate the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.

The Volstead Act

The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919. The Eighteenth Amendment was the product of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which held that a ban on the sale of alcohol would improve societal issues and poverty.

The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress designed to execute the 18th Amendment. The Volstead Act was presented to help promote the togetherness of federal and state legislation in regulating alcohol. The act was named after Minnesota Rep. Andrew Volstead, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who had championed the bill and prohibition. The act was passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives on July 22, 1919, with 287 in favour and 100 opposed.

• Previously enacted war Prohibition
• Prohibition as designated by the Eighteenth Amendment
• Industrial alcohol use

The Temperance Movement

The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol, is no longer in effect. This amendment was the result of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which advocated that banning the sale of alcohol would reduce poverty and address other societal issues. The amendment was proposed by Congress in 1917 and ratified by the required number of states in 1919.

The Eighteenth Amendment made it illegal to produce, transport, or sell intoxicating liquors, but it did not prohibit their consumption. The Volstead Act was passed by Congress to enforce Prohibition, but it proved largely ineffective, with widespread illegal alcohol distribution and a significant increase in organised crime.

Public sentiment turned against Prohibition in the late 1920s, and the Great Depression further hastened its demise. Opponents argued that the ban denied jobs to the unemployed and revenue to the government. The nonpartisan Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA) also contributed to public disillusionment. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic presidential nominee, included a plan to repeal the amendment in his platform, and his subsequent victory led to the end of Prohibition.

The Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and modified the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer, was proposed by Congress in February 1933. It was officially added to the U.S. Constitution on December 5, 1933, when Utah's state convention unanimously ratified it. The Twenty-first Amendment is the only constitutional amendment in American history to repeal another.

Frequently asked questions