jan 17, 1920 - Eighteenth Amendment

Description:

The Temperance Movement was strong through the 1800s, especially the 1820s and 1830s. The first state prohibition law was passed in 1846 in Maine, and maybe others followed suit. In the late 1800s, groups like WCTU and ASL were founded and pushed for prohibition laws. In 1916, congressmen who supported prohibition were the 2/3 majority. The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified on January 29, 1919, banning the manufacturing, transportation and sale of alcohol within the United States. Bootlegging, the illegal manufacture and sale of liquor, was everywhere, especially in cities where more people opposed prohibition. Additionally, organized crime violence skyrocketed because gangs took over control of alcohol. By the end of the decade, people began calling for the amendment's repeal, and the Great Depression added fuel to the flames. In February 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment was passed, repealing the Eighteenth.