-
Ratification of the 18th Amendment
In December of 1917 the 18th Amendment was passed by the states and sent on for ratification. The 18th Amendment banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. By January 16,1919 the 18th Amendment was ratified by the states. 36 of the 50 states had ratified the Amendment in order for it be too successfully put into action. With the ratification, Prohibition had begun on January 17, 1920. -
Volstead Act
On October 28, 1919, the Volstead Act was passed by Congress. The Volstead Act stated all punishments if an individual was caught breaking the rules of the 18th Amendment. This act was named for the Minnesota Representative Andrew Volstead, who championed the bill and prohibition. The act was actually vetoed by Woodrow Wilson but become law after Congress voted to override the veto. All 50 states later enacted laws to help carry the Volstead Act into effect. -
Rockefeller's Letter
John Rockefeller wrote a letter to the President stating that he thought the 18th Amendment didn't accomplish its goal. He was overall in favor of the repeal, even though he had never tasted a drop of liquor. He stated in his letter it was his privilege to support the President on his decision to repeal the 18th Amendment. "...A vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened" -John D. Rockefeller. -
Democratic platform
In 1932 the Democratic Party adopted a platform plank that called for a repeal. But the landslide of the Democratic victory of 1932 was yet again another signal for the end of Prohibition. Supporters of this repeal didn't want the state legislatures to vote against the ratification. 38 states had elected delegates to state conventions, prior to this event, in hopes that they would consider the amendment. It wasn't surprising to the Democrats when the 21st Amendment was ratified in 1933. -
Ratification of the 21st Amendment
On February 20, 1933, the 21st Amendment was passed by Congress. It was not until December 5, 1933, that the 21st Amendment was officially ratified. The 21st Amendment continued to ban the transportation of alcohol into any state where its possession violated that state's law. After the Amendment was passed and ratified, it ended 14 long years of Prohibition bringing joy to many. Some states remained in the Prohibition era and maintained temperance laws even after the 21st Amendment was passed. -
Cullen-Harrison Act
On March 23, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act. Under this Act the manufacture of certain alcohol was legalized in the states. Beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% and wine with low alcohol content are examples of alcohol legalized under this Act. Also under this Act, states had to pass their own similar legislation to legalize the sale of low alcohol beverages within their borders. -
End of Prohibition
Prohibition was enduring and took a toll on many people. Prohibition lost tons of support in the early 1930s as it started becoming harder and harder to carry out. After Prohibition ended, some states were still hesitant to bring alcohol back to the public. Other legal establishments, who were more on board, had to buy liquor directly from the speakeasies and bootleggers to get started again. Mississippi was the last dry state in the Union and ended the last of the Prohibition era in 1966. -
State Board of Equalization vs. Young
This was the first time the Courts looked at the 21st Amendment, which is the only one that ratified by special state conventions assembled specifically to vote. This resulted in a fairly maximalist interpretation of state powers. The Supreme Court recognized that in the absence of the 21st Amendment the law trying to be passed would have violated the Commerce Clause. The law wanted a $500 fee to import beer into the state of California. This law was seen as unfair to states so it didn't pass. -
44 Liquormart vs. Rhode Island
In 1966 Mississippi, the last "dry" state, became the last to end its Prohibition-era. But citizens stated it hard to purchase alcohol with all the restrictions put into place. The Court ruled that Rhode Island violated the 1st Amendment by putting restrictions on the distributing and advertising price of alcoholic beverages. The Courts stated that the 21st Amendment gave states no power to enact laws that would otherwise violate the Equal Protection Clause, and put restrictions on some states. -
La Rue vs. California case
In 1972, the Courts took into consideration a California law that denied liquor licenses to establishments where people performed sexual acts. However, this law did not pass through the Courts. They ruled that "whatever artistic or communicative values may attach to the activites is overcome by the state's exercise of its board of powers arising under the 21st Amendment." The Courts wanted the sale and distribution of alcohol to be fair and equal throughout any and all establishments in the U.S. -
Granholm vs. Heald and Swedenborg vs. Kelly cases
In 2005, the Courts took on the Granholm vs. Heald and the Swedenburg vs. Kelly cases. It's stated in Section 2 of the 21st Amendment that the states don't have the power to discriminate against out-of-state wine sellers. Section 2 stated transportation into any state or territory of the U.S. for delivery or usage is in violation of the laws and is prohibited. They noted that the 21st Amendment did give Michigan the power to ban all direct shipments of wine to consumers if they chose to do so.
