Prohibition

The Temperance Movement Because of an increase in poverty, alcohol use increased in the 18 th century Alcohol was beginning to be discovered as harmful to physical and psychological health In 1789 the first temperance association was formed in Connecticut to ban the making of whiskey Similar associations formed over the next decade in 8 other states including Virginia and New York

The American Temperance Society was formed in 1826 Citizens gained a renewed interest I religion and morality Within 12 years the Society had about 1,500,000 members

To educate the public about the dangers of alcohol, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union implemented alcohol education in many schools and colleges This was to educate future voters that alcohol was, by nature, an outlaw and should be made illegal Almost every state had legislation mandating anti-alcohol education

Temperance existed alongside many women’s rights movements They made the argument that alcohol consumption in men lead to domestic violence The WCTU’s anti-alcohol legislation played a large part in the passing of the 18 th amendment

The 18 th Amendment 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

The amendment passed the House of Representatives on December 18 th, 1917 It was ratified on January 16 th, 1919 The legislation went into effect on January

The amendment did not ban the consumption of alcohol, but it made it difficult to obtain legally It was illegal to manufacture, sell, transport, and import, and export

While many states already had enacted laws to ban alcohol statewide, this was nationwide legislation It was ratified by 36 of the 48 states, Mississippi being the first on January 7 th, 1918; Oregon was the 33 rd state to ratify on January 15 th, 1919

To clarify the language of the amendment, congress created legislation called the National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act.

The Volstead Act This act defined the term “intoxicating liquors” as any beverage containing more than.5% alcohol The Commissioner of Internal Revenue, his assistants, agents, and inspectors, had the power to investigate and report violations of the 18 th amendment to the United States government

Repeal 1933, 21 st amendment completely repealed the 18 th amendment, this is the only amendment to ever be fully repealed 1935 the Federal Alcohol Administration was created to play a modest role in the regulation and taxation of alcohol