Let’s Drink To That : The Rise and Fall Of Prohibition

Imagine not being able to purchase your favorite cognac, beer, wine or any other alcohol.  The period between 1919 to 1933 was just that. It was illegal to manufacture, sell or transport alcohol as mandated in the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Although the sale or manufacture of alcohol was made illegal, it was legal to consume alcohol. However, putting a ban on sale of alcohol made it extremely hard to buy unless you made your own. The Prohibition era was also the time that has been widely associated with many societal problems. Mafia groups, powerful gangs and black market for alcohol flourished during this period.

Prohibition or The Noble Experiment became extremely unpopular in the later years. As a result Eighteenth Amendment was repealed  with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The 18th Amendment To The United States Constitution :

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.

Below is a time line showing the rise and fall of Prohibition.

1657

The sale of strong liquor was made illegal by the General Court of Massachusetts.

1784

People from the medical field started looking for explanation. One of the foremost physician of the 18th century, Dr. Benjamin Rush argued that excessive drinking was hazardous to physical and psychological health. However, he believe in moderation rather than prohibition.

1789

A temperance (social movement against the use of alcohol) association was formed in Connecticut.

1800

Similar associations such as temperance movement was formed in Virginia and another one in New York in 1808.

1840s

The prohibition of the “dry” movement began. Well known preacher Reverend Mark A. Matthews called liquor dispensing was similar to prostitution.

1851

Manufacture and sale of liquor was banned in Maine.

1869

Prohibition party was founded

1873

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was founded. Despite the name this association didn’t call for temperance or moderation, the union actually promoted prohibition.

1881

Kansas outlawed alcoholic beverages in its constitution and became the first state to do so. Carrie Nation, a member of temperance movement started going to the bars destroying bottles of alcohol with a hatchet and scolding customers at the saloon in Kansas for buying and consuming alcohol.

1890s

The temperance movement started gaining widespread recognition

1893

Anti-Saloon League was founded in Oberlin, Ohio.

1895

Anti-Saloon League grew rapidly and became a national organization. Soon it was the most powerful prohibition lobby in America

1905

Three American states had already outlawed alcohol

1912

By this time alcohol was outlawed in nine states

1917

The 65th Congress convened in which the Democratic dries outnumbered the wets by 140 to 64 and 138 to 62 among Republicans. A resolution calling for an amendment to accomplish nationwide Prohibition was introduced in Congress and passed by both houses in December

1919

The amendment was ratified by thirty six of the forty eight states. On October 28 the amendment was supplemented by the Volstead Act (Named after Andrew Volstead, who reinforced the prohibition of alcohol in the United States of America)

1920

Prohibition began on January 16 when the 18th Amendment went into effect. Special law officers known as Federal Prohibition Officers were asked to enforce the law

1921

Congress held hearings on the medicinal value of beer and physicians across the country lobbied for the repeal of prohibition since the law prohibited medicinal liquors as well.

1933

On March 23rd President Franklin Roosevelt signed an amendment to the Volstead Act known as the Cullen-Harrison Act, allowing the manufacture and sale of “3.2 beer” (3.2% alcohol by weight, approximately 4% alcohol by volume) and light wines. After signing he made the famous remark “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” The Cullen-Harrison Act became law on April 7th.

December 5th, 1933

The Eighteenth Amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933 with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment

The Twenty-First Amendment to The United States Constitution

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 therein 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.

After the Prohibition the first drink that was legally sold was in Utica Club of the F.X. Matt’s Brewery in Utica, New York.

Well, it’s the weekend. I will have a cognac to celebrate the fact that I wasn’t around during the Prohibition. Next time you head to the bar or liquor store to buy your favorite alcohol, remember that there was a time it would have been illegal to do so. Let’s drink to that.

Have a good weekend.

source

Related posts:

1. A Must Read Guide To Everything Alcohol
2. How To Fall In Love With Cognac This July
3. Five Awesome Gadgets For Anyone Who Loves To Drink
4. What Does It Take To Become The World’s Finest Drink?

12 Responses to “Let’s Drink To That : The Rise and Fall Of Prohibition”

1. Jack Watson says:

   June 6, 2009 at 12:17 pm

   Wow, I think you hit the nail right on the head dude!

   Well done!

   http://www.absolute-anonymity.com/
2. Harv says:

   June 6, 2009 at 12:25 pm

   There still is prohibition. Just not against alcohol.
3. popurls.com // popular today says:

   June 6, 2009 at 12:40 pm

   popurls.com // popular today…

   story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…
4. Joseph says:

   June 6, 2009 at 1:02 pm

   You are foolish to think that you do not live in a time of prohibition. When things much less harmful and much more enjoyable than alcohol are still illegal.
5. rcb says:

   June 6, 2009 at 2:42 pm

   Now it’s just a matter of waiting until policy makers grasp the same logic with respect to the use of cannabis…
6. Travis Ballard says:

   June 6, 2009 at 3:00 pm

   prohibition is still here. just not for alcohol. the new prohibition is aimed at marijuana. hopefully it’ll end soon. i’ll toke to that.
7. Sean Harlow says:

   June 6, 2009 at 3:53 pm

   Remember while you enjoy your drink that another form of prohibition is still going on, against a substance that is arguably at least as enjoyable and factually less dangerous than alcohol.

   I’m not one of those “legalize everything” nuts, though the Libertarian in me likes the idea in theory, I know it wouldn’t work in the real world. All I want is fair regulation based on harm. If they can’t demonstrate that it’s more harmful than something which is legal (let’s say alcohol or tobacco) or when the harm caused by prohibition is more than the harm caused by the substance (hmm, sound familiar to alcohol prohibition? The black market leads to a rise in power of those who benefit from the black market), it should be legal. In both cases, I think it’s clear that marijuana should be 100% legal and taxed/regulated just like alcohol and tobacco.
8. peece says:

   June 6, 2009 at 7:22 pm

   marijuana: still prohibited
9. John says:

   June 7, 2009 at 12:35 am

   Alcohol prohibition didn’t work, and we also see that 80+ years of cannabis prohibition is also a complete failure.
10. Valerian Texeira says:

    June 7, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    Prohibition v/s. legalization of alcohol drinks today needs to be based on alcohol epidemiological research. On this issue the governments should go one step further from the legalization and make all alcohol drinks tax-free, which allows moderate alcohol consumption, provides the great pleasures of the drinking but at the same time prevents any excessive alcohol consumption and the alcohol(ism) problems. On the other hand the Governments needs to highly restrict and tax three or four times more for all alcohol drinks, which facilitates excessive alcohol consumption that end up with so many alcohol(ism) problems including the notorious drunk driving fatal accidents.

    The alcohol epidemiological research irrefutably points out that almost all alcohol(ism) problems caused by the drinks having around 4% and above alcohol content. The regular beer is the most popular among. On the other hand alcohol drinks having around and below 2% alcohol cause none such alcohol(ism) problem. Unfortunately the government alcohol policy today not based on the alcohol epidemiological research but on the preposterous argument “all alcohol drinks irrespective of their alcohol content high or low cause the alcohol(ism) problems” put forward by the alcohol drink governing bosses. More on this matter on: http://alcohol-research-misconduct.blogspot.com/2009/01/alcohol-prohibition-rights-and-wrongs.html
11. Ruby says:

    June 8, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    marijuana: still prohibited..
12. Conspiracy Theories and Other Interesting Sites | General Blogger Here says:

    June 10, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    [...] Let’s Drink To That : The Rise and Fall Of Prohibition | COGNAC Your Guide To The Finest Drinks [...]