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21st Amendment
The history of the 21st amendment. -
First Dry State
Maine becomes the first state to implement a law that banned the sale and consumption of alcohol. It was a step forward for the temperance movement. -
Webb-Kenyon Bill
The Webb-Kenyon Bill was passed, which allowed dry states to prevent the passage of liquor shipments across their borders. This was one of the steps taken by the temperance movement as they worked to achieve nationwide prohibition. -
18th Amendment Proposal
At this time, a large number of states were going dry. The entry into World War 1 increased the support for prohibition, as a good number of breweries were German. As a result, the 18th amendment was proposed. -
The 18th Amendment Ratified
The 18th amendment was ratified, starting nationwide prohibition. This was also the height of the temperance movement. -
During Prohibition
Instead of solving social issues as intended, prohibition created more problems. People would continue to get alcohol, but through illegal means. Prohibition also caused organized crime, groups of people operating illegal businesses. One example is the gangster Al Capone. He ran secret operations to produce, transport, and sell alcohol under the disguise of a real business. -
21st Amendment Proposed
Due to the failure of the 18th Amendment to solve crime and social problems combined with causing bootlegging and organized crime to occur, as well as the belief that they were losing possible income from the jobs that are needed to sell alcohol in a time when people were desperate for money because of the Depression, the 21st amendment to repeal the 18th was proposed. -
21st Amendment Ratified
Utah became the 36th State to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment. The 21st was amended through state conventions, rather than state legislatures. -
End of Prohibition
Though the 18th amendment was repealed in 1933, some states kept prohibition laws in effect. The last dry state, Mississippi, repealed prohibition laws in 1966.
