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Ratification of the 18th Amenndment
On January 29, 1919 the 18th amendment was added to the constitution, 36 states had ratified it. The 18th amendment outlawed the sale, production, and distribution of alcohol. Prohibition has begun. -
Volstead Act
The Volstead act went into effect on october 28, 1919. This stated the punishements if you were caught breaking the 18th amendment. -
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The Dark Side
During the 1920's, the rise of bootleggers, such as Al Capone in Chicago, highlighted the dark sides to prohibition. There was a lot of violence going on with gangs fighting and compeating to sell there alcohol. -
Rockefellers Letter
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened. -
Herbert Hoover's Acceptance Speach
On August 11th, 1932, Herbert Hoover gave an acceptance speech for the republican presidential nomination for president which he discussed the ills of prohibition and the need for it the end. -
Proposal
On Feburary 20, 1933, Congress proposed the 21st amendment which was to try to repeal the 18th amendment and end prohibition. -
Cullen-Harrison Act
On this date Frankil D. Roosevelt sighned the Cullen-Harrison Act which legalizes the manufacture and of certain alcohol. -
Ratification
On December 5, 1933, the 21st amendment was added to the constitution which repeled the 18th amendment and ended prohibition. -
End of Prohibition
Some states continued to prohibition by maintaining state wide temperance laws. Mississippi was the last dry state in the union. -
Kansas Bars
Kansas bars continued to prohibit public bars until 1987 even after all the state prohibition laws had been lifted.
