The Repeal of Prohibition

The Repeal of Prohibition

With the ratification of the 18th Amendment in 1918, the sale, manufacturing, and transport of alcohol was banned in the United States. That same year the National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, was also passed to help enforce this nationwide application of the temperance movement. However, Congress and the rest of the public that supported Prohibition did not foresee the numerous negative effects that came from the ratification of the 18th Amendment and led to its eventual repeal.

During the 1920s, the bootlegging business boomed in response to Prohibition. Multiple gangsters, such as Al Capone, reached iconic levels of fame. Others forms of crime like gambling also became very popular during this time. In addition, the enforcement of Prohibition was very ineffective and many people who wanted to drink could. The concept of the temperance movement was to strengthen the moral fabric of the American people and eliminate the corruption that alcohol had on the mind. As result, it was very ironic that people began to categorize the rising crime rates as a moral decay in America and blamed Prohibition. In addition, the onset Great Depression made the situation much worse. The public was already starting to turn against the ban of alcohol and once the economy went bad people used it as a scapegoat for the economic turmoil in the country. The public argued that there were many potential jobs being withheld from the American people because of Prohibition. In addition, they said that there was a huge amount of revenue not being generated to the government. Groups like the Americans Against Prohibition Association also worked advocated these points. 

The election of Roosevelt in 1932 spelled the end for Prohibition since one of his promises during his campaign included the repeal of the 18th Amendment. In 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amendment which would nullify both the 18th Amendment and Volstead Act. The Amendment did not come without controversy though. An important principle of the amendment was that states now had the power to decide how to regulate the alcohol industry in it borders. The controversy regarded how much federal regulation could be coupled with the state's decision. So despite the 21st Amendments ratification, few states still kept a statewide level of Prohibition. Mississippi was the last state to end Prohibition in 1966. However, the 21st Amendment still effectively ended the failed social experiment that was Prohibition and set the precedent that the maintenance of the liquor industry was determined at the local level. 

Sources: 

http://www.history.com/topics/18th-and-21st-amendments

http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/amendments/21/essays/183/repeal-of-prohibition

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prohibition-ends