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Al Capone and Prohibition
Al Capone played a big part in the Prohibition Era, but not for good reasons. He was most famous in the Valentine's Day Massacre when he ordered that 7 rival gangs be murdered. Capone became very powerful in this Era, very famous and very well known. He was know to distribute Alcohol under Johnny Torrio, and soon took over his bootlegging business.
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World War I
As the United States entered World War I, the thought of putting a prohibition ban on alcohol was evident to President Woodrow Wilson. They wanted to keep as much grain available as possible since they were fighting a war. It was more useful for food then alcohol, and in that year the idea of an actual ban on alcohol was proposed, not just because of food shortages from war but many other reason. That next year the 18th Amendment was suggested to congress.
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18th Amendment Passes
The 18th Amendment was passed for a couple reasons. It was thought that alcohol led to domestic violence, abuse to wives and children. Also a Women's Rights organization protested the sale, consumption and distribution of alcohol. -
Volstead Act
This act was put into place to help out the 18th Amendment by further banning the sale, consumption, manufacturing etc. of alcohol. Its known as the National Prohibition Act.This was signed by President Woodrow Wilson. The Volstead Act was repealed by Cullen-Harrison Act. -
John D Rockefeller Jr.
John D Rockefeller wrote a letter about Prohibition. He talked about how he liked the idea of passing the 18th Amendment in the beginning but soon realized that the passing of it was causing more harm than any good. He realized early on that the consumption of alcohol sky rocketed because it was harder to get and the crime rate went up and people were dying due to gang violence in cities.
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Great Depression
The nation was soon entering a great depression after the war. Franklin D. Roosevelt, soon realized that there were bigger issues in the United States than alcohol, and used that to his advantage in his presidential campaign. He defeated Herbert Hoover in his presidential run with the backing to repeal the 18th Amendment while in office.
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States Ratify 21st Amendment
All of the states but South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Nebraska, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas and Georgia participated in the ratifying of the of the 21st Amendment. It was even rejected by South Carolina at that time.
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21st Amendment was born
Official on December 5, 1933, it we decided to ratify the 21st Amendment. This Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment which banned the sale and distribution of alcohol (which ended national Prohibition). This is the only Amendment in the Constitution that repeals an Amendment that was already passed. Roosevelt was in office at this time.
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Legal Drinking Age
In the case of Craig v. Boren, a man by the name of Curtis Craig, who was not yet 21, challenged the court saying that allowing males to drink at 21 and females at 18 was discriminating. He said that it violated the 14th amendment, which stated that you can't deprive anyone of equal rights. The movement was overturned 7 to 2 by a jury of Brennan, Stewart, White, Marshall, Blackmun, Powell, Steven (7) and Burger and Rehnquist (2).
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21st Amendment Proposed
On February 20, 1933 the 21st Amendment was proposed to Congress. The illegal sale, distribution, ownership, etc. of alcohol was still climbing and the crime rate was going up. Mafias ruled the black market, selling alcohol to anyone that could get their hands on it. They thought it was about time someone did something about it.
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