Have a Drink

The Story

The beginning of the twentieth century in America was a time where religion seemed to have it's reign. One group known as the Women's Christian Temperance Union stood against alcohol and wanted an order of prohibition. They believed that alcohol was the source of many problems in the society. A war between bars and taverns and those involved with the religious groups seemed to take place. Bars were vandalized, people were killed, and congress felt they had to step in. The eighteenth amendment that outlawed alcohol was passed This they believed would lead to the end of drunkenness, crime, mental illness and poverty.

The result of this prohibition was not what officials wanted. When someone says you can not do it one wants to do it even more and that was exactly what happened. Americans thirst for alcohol increased during prohibition. Organized crime quickly rose up to supply the thirst. The formerly legal methods of the production and distribution of alcohol was now illegal. Respect for law diminished and the drunkenness, crime and resentment towards federal government grew. The next 13 years were a bit crazy and in 1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran on the stand of repealing the amendment. In 1933 the amendment of prohibition was ratified. The state and local government had the right to prohibit alcohol there was no longer a wide spread ban.

The 18th Amendment

Ratified January 16, 1919

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

The 21st Amendment

Ratified December 5, 1933

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.