Jonah Patel
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was ratified on December 5, 1933, repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, which had established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. The Eighteenth Amendment was the result of decades of campaigning by the temperance movement, which believed that banning alcohol would reduce poverty and societal issues such as violence and immoral sexual behaviour. However, the amendment proved largely ineffective, as it failed to prevent the mass distribution of alcoholic beverages and led to a rise in organised crime. As a result, public sentiment turned against Prohibition by the late 1920s, and the Twenty-first Amendment was proposed to repeal it. The Twenty-first Amendment is unique among the amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as it is the only one to repeal a prior amendment and the only one to be ratified by state ratifying conventions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amendment that was repealed by the 21st | Eighteenth Amendment |
| Year of repeal | 1933 |
| Date of ratification of the 21st Amendment | December 5, 1933 |
| Date the 21st Amendment was proposed | February 20, 1933 |
| Subject of the amendment | Repeal of Prohibition |
| Subject of the repealed amendment | Prohibition of alcohol |
| Year the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified | 1919 |
| Date the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified | January 16, 1919 |
| State to reject the 21st Amendment | South Carolina |
| Last state to lift Prohibition-era laws | Mississippi |
| Year Mississippi lifted Prohibition-era laws | 1966 |
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The Eighteenth Amendment
The amendment faced opposition, and as many Americans continued to drink, a lucrative black market for alcohol emerged, fueling the rise of organised crime. In February 1933, Congress proposed the Twenty-first Amendment, which would repeal the Eighteenth Amendment and modify the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer. The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933, and ended national prohibition.
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Prohibition
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was ratified on December 5, 1933, repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ended national prohibition. The Eighteenth Amendment had established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, which was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919. The Twenty-first Amendment is unique among the amendments to the U.S. Constitution for two reasons. Firstly, it is the only amendment that has specifically repealed another amendment. Secondly, it is the only amendment that has been ratified by state ratifying conventions rather than state legislatures.
The Eighteenth Amendment was the result of decades of advocacy by the temperance movement, which argued that prohibiting alcohol would eliminate poverty and improve society by reducing immoral sexual behaviour and violence. The movement also believed that prohibition would inspire new forms of sociability, create happier families, reduce workplace accidents, and improve the world. The amendment was enforced by the Volstead Act, which established federal enforcement of the ban on alcohol.
However, the Eighteenth Amendment proved to be largely ineffective, as it was unable to prevent the mass distribution of alcoholic beverages. Instead, it led to a massive increase in organised crime and the growth of a profitable black market for alcohol. Illegal alcohol production centres developed ties with criminal organisations, such as the Chicago Outfit led by Al Capone, who bribed businesses, political leaders, and police departments with illegal alcohol. This effectively crippled the ability to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment.
Public sentiment turned against Prohibition during the late 1920s and early 1930s, with many Americans continuing to drink despite the amendment. The Great Depression further hastened its demise, as opponents argued that the ban on alcohol denied jobs to the unemployed and much-needed revenue to the government. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic presidential nominee, called for the repeal of Prohibition, and his victory in November 1933 led to the end of Prohibition.
Even after the Twenty-first Amendment repealed Prohibition, several states continued to be "dry states" and closely regulated the distribution of alcohol. Mississippi was the last state to lift all its Prohibition-era laws in 1966, while Kansas maintained its ban on public bars until 1987. To this day, many states delegate their power to ban the importation of alcohol to counties and municipalities, and there remain numerous dry communities throughout the United States.
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Alcohol
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933. This made it the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed. The Eighteenth Amendment was the result of years of campaigning by the temperance movement, which argued that prohibiting alcohol would address poverty and other societal issues such as immoral sexual behaviour and violence. It was ratified on January 16, 1919, and enforced by the Volstead Act, which criminalised the production, transportation, and sale of "intoxicating liquors".
However, the Eighteenth Amendment proved largely ineffective, as it failed to prevent the mass distribution of alcoholic beverages and inadvertently caused a surge in organised crime. As the decade progressed, illegal alcohol production increased to meet rising demand, and criminal enterprises like the Chicago Outfit, led by Al Capone, exploited the situation to gain influence. They bribed businesses, politicians, and even entire police departments with illicit alcohol, severely hindering law enforcement efforts.
Public sentiment began to shift against Prohibition during the 1920s, and the Great Depression further hastened its demise. Opponents argued that the alcohol ban deprived the unemployed of jobs and denied much-needed revenue to the government. The nonpartisan Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA) also contributed to growing public disillusionment. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic presidential nominee, included a plan to repeal Prohibition in his platform, and his subsequent victory in November sealed the fate of the Eighteenth Amendment.
On February 20, 1933, Congress proposed the Twenty-first Amendment, and President Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act in April, amending the Volstead Act to permit the manufacture and sale of low-alcohol beer and wine. The Twenty-first Amendment was unique in that it was the only amendment ratified by state ratifying conventions and the only one to repeal a prior amendment. It ended national Prohibition and restored the ability of states to regulate alcohol within their borders.
Even after the Twenty-first Amendment, several states continued to be "dry states," maintaining strict control over alcohol distribution. Mississippi was the last state to lift its Prohibition-era laws in 1966, and Kansas kept its ban on public bars until 1987. Today, many states delegate their authority over alcohol to counties and municipalities, and dry communities persist throughout the United States.
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Temperance movement
The Temperance Movement was a social movement that promoted temperance or total abstinence from the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The movement, which began in the early 1800s, was particularly prominent among women who protested against alcohol abuse and how it led to men committing domestic violence. By 1831, there were 24 women's organizations dedicated to temperance, and women were active in the movement from the beginning. The movement also had a strong religious element, with churchgoers making up a large part of its supporters.
The roots of the Temperance Movement can be traced back to the American Revolution, when farmers in Connecticut, Virginia, and New York state formed associations to ban whiskey distilling. The movement spread to eight states, advocating temperance rather than abstinence and taking positions on religious issues such as the observance of the Sabbath. In the 1810s, small temperance societies began to emerge, but they had little impact outside their immediate regions and disbanded soon after. Their methods, however, were adopted by more successful and long-lasting temperance societies such as the American Temperance Society.
In the 1820s, the movement began to gain traction at a national level, popularized by evangelical temperance reformers and among the middle classes. During this time, there was a focus on advising against hard spirits rather than on complete abstinence from alcohol, and on moral reform rather than legal measures against alcohol. The movement also spread internationally, with the first international temperance organization, the Order of Good Templars, being formed in 1851 in Utica, New York.
The Temperance Movement eventually led to national prohibitions on alcohol in several countries, including the United States, where the Eighteenth Amendment mandated nationwide prohibition. However, as many Americans continued to drink despite the amendment, prohibition gave rise to a profitable black market for alcohol, fueling the rise of organized crime. As a result, the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, ending national prohibition.
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State conventions
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, is unique in two ways. Firstly, it is the only amendment to have repealed a prior amendment. Secondly, it is the only amendment to have been ratified by state ratifying conventions, rather than the legislatures of the states.
The Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, was ratified on January 16, 1919, after years of advocacy by the temperance movement. However, as more and more Americans opposed the amendment, a political movement grew for its repeal. The Twenty-first Amendment was proposed by the 72nd Congress on February 20, 1933, and ratified by state ratifying conventions on December 5, 1933.
The use of state conventions rather than state legislatures was a deliberate choice, as it was believed that the lawmakers of many states were influenced by or fearful of the temperance lobby. This made the ratification process a one-state, one-vote referendum rather than a popular vote. The amendment was officially added to the U.S. Constitution when Utah's state convention unanimously ratified it, and it was subsequently ratified by conventions in other states. Mississippi was the last state to lift all its Prohibition-era laws in 1966, and Kansas lifted its ban on public bars in 1987.
The Twenty-first Amendment is also notable for ending national prohibition and for being the only amendment with a provision setting a deadline for its ratification.
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Frequently asked questions
The 21st Amendment to the US Constitution repealed the 18th Amendment, which had banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.
The 21st Amendment was proposed by the 72nd Congress on February 20, 1933, and was ratified on December 5, 1933, by state ratifying conventions.
The 18th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919, after years of advocacy by the temperance movement. It led to a rise in illegal alcohol production and fuelled the growth of organised crime groups such as the Chicago Outfit led by Al Capone.
