Prohibition

From 1920 to 1933, there was a nationwide ban on the sale, production, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. It was called “Prohibition.”

Prohibition was set in place by the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 18th Amendment was overturned in 1933 with the passage of the 21st Amendment.

The Prohibition movement started in earnest after the formation of the Anti-Saloon League in 1893. Together, with the support of similar organizations like The American Temperance Society and The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, these groups were able to get Prohibition laws passed locally, and from there, the national movement grew. In 1881, Kansas became the first state to outlaw alcohol.

During this time, breweries were very prosperous, and saloons were opening at an alarming rate. The consumption of alcohol grew to the point that it was considered by many to be an epidemic.

Prohibition began on January 17, 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect. A total of 1,520 Federal Prohibition Agents (police) were given the task of enforcing the law.

During Prohibition, people were allowed to make limited amounts of certain beverages. Also, it is important to note that drinking alcohol was not illegal; only the selling of it was.

Many illegal establishments sprang up that served alcohol. Organized crime also got a major boost during this time. Bootlegging (delivering illegal alcohol) and other violent crimes grew enormously in many major cities.

Overall, the consumption of alcohol declined during Prohibition. One of the major reasons Prohibition failed was the inability of the government to regulate it. Too many people wanted to drink who had always been good citizens, and they refused to view drinking as breaking the law. As a result, the law was unpopular and ignored.