General Overview
The 18th amendment began when the Senate proposed it on December 18, 1917 where it was approved by thirty-six of the states in January 16, 1919 due to some of the states believing that it was an infringement on their power as a state, and then taking effect exactly one year from its approval. (1)
The 18th amendment had three provisions that constituted a mere 111 words, these provisions are: Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited, Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation, Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. (2)
The 18th amendment made it difficult to sell and produce alcohol. The actual act that was used to enforce the 18th amendment, was the National Prohibition Act (Volstead act), which was named after Andrew Volstead. This act consisted of three main provisions: 1. To prohibit intoxicating beverages, 2. To regulate the manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquor (but not consumption), and 3. To ensure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye and other lawful industry and practices, such as religious rituals. (3)
With the Volstead act enforcing the 18th amendment, prohibition was in full swing and the prohibitionists had hopes that with the ban of alcohol, the United States would become an overall better society. What ended up happening was the exact opposite of what the prohibitionists expected. Crime rates went up as the bootlegging of alcohol skyrocketed through organized crime. Al Capone was one of the few famous gangsters who took up bootlegging, which many had turned to as it was an easy way to make money. And since more people wanted to drink alcohol as it became a banned luxury, drunkards went up in number.
Prohibition lasted for thirteen years before the 21st amendment, which repealed the 18th amendment and was proposed by Congress on February 20, 1933. It passed the Senate with a sixty-three to twenty-one vote and then passed the House with a 298 to 121 vote. However, the problem with trying to repeal the 18th amendment through ratification, means that the Temperance movement ( Social movement originating in the late 18th century that urged reducing or prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages) had enough strength in most states to be able to influence the state legislatures. In turn, state ratifying conventions were used because the common person had more of a say in the situation of matter. And since most if not everyone was against prohibition at this point, prohibition would most likely be repealed. With a popular vote of three to one, the 21st amendment had passed on December 5, 1933 and with that, the prohibition law had been repealed. (4)
The 18th amendment had three provisions that constituted a mere 111 words, these provisions are: Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited, Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation, Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. (2)
The 18th amendment made it difficult to sell and produce alcohol. The actual act that was used to enforce the 18th amendment, was the National Prohibition Act (Volstead act), which was named after Andrew Volstead. This act consisted of three main provisions: 1. To prohibit intoxicating beverages, 2. To regulate the manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquor (but not consumption), and 3. To ensure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye and other lawful industry and practices, such as religious rituals. (3)
With the Volstead act enforcing the 18th amendment, prohibition was in full swing and the prohibitionists had hopes that with the ban of alcohol, the United States would become an overall better society. What ended up happening was the exact opposite of what the prohibitionists expected. Crime rates went up as the bootlegging of alcohol skyrocketed through organized crime. Al Capone was one of the few famous gangsters who took up bootlegging, which many had turned to as it was an easy way to make money. And since more people wanted to drink alcohol as it became a banned luxury, drunkards went up in number.
Prohibition lasted for thirteen years before the 21st amendment, which repealed the 18th amendment and was proposed by Congress on February 20, 1933. It passed the Senate with a sixty-three to twenty-one vote and then passed the House with a 298 to 121 vote. However, the problem with trying to repeal the 18th amendment through ratification, means that the Temperance movement ( Social movement originating in the late 18th century that urged reducing or prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages) had enough strength in most states to be able to influence the state legislatures. In turn, state ratifying conventions were used because the common person had more of a say in the situation of matter. And since most if not everyone was against prohibition at this point, prohibition would most likely be repealed. With a popular vote of three to one, the 21st amendment had passed on December 5, 1933 and with that, the prohibition law had been repealed. (4)
(1) NY Times, "The Volstead Act." http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archivefree/pdfres=F70C15F83B5F1B728DDDAC0894DB405B808EF1D3 (Accessed on March 25, 2013).
(2) "The 18th Amendment" http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/18th_amendment_final.html (Accessed on March
25, 2013).
(3) "The Volstead Act" http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/Volstead-Act.html (Accessed on March 22, 2013).
(4) "Repeal of Prohibition" http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1131637220.html (accessed on April 2, 2013)
(2) "The 18th Amendment" http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/18th_amendment_final.html (Accessed on March
25, 2013).
(3) "The Volstead Act" http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/Volstead-Act.html (Accessed on March 22, 2013).
(4) "Repeal of Prohibition" http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1131637220.html (accessed on April 2, 2013)