18th Amendment Essay

In 1917, the 18th amendment was passed to ban the sale and manufacture of alcohol in the United States. The quality of alcohol was poor and many people became sick. Deaths from alcohol poisoning rose to 400% (Nash). People will argue that alcohol was less easily obtainable before prohibition since the bootlegging industry was so immense, you could purchase alcohol on almost any street in America.

The 1920s were filled with gangs and many changes in society. One of the those changes was the addition of the 18th. The 18th amendment was ratified January 16, 1919. It created something called prohibition which outlawed the distribution, production, and use of alcohol. Despite the law, people still continued to drink alcohol in places called speakeasies.

For example, there were about 15,000 legal drinking establishments in New York before the 18th Amendment and 32,000 illegal ones after. Thus, the 18th Amendment increased the opportunities for drinking, when it’s purpose was to stop drinking entirely. Liquor was also often made inside people’s homes from ingredients that were commonly sold. It is estimated that Americans made 700 million gallons of liquor in makeshift stills sold by hardware stores.

The 18th Amendment, the prohibition of alcohol, ratified

“Constitution prohibited manufacture, sale, transportation, and importation of intoxicating liquors”’. Prohibition began in colonial times when milk and water would spoil, so many people would have to drink alcohol. Back then, water was unreliable, and people drank liquor for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drunkenness was a norm, and liquor was being imported from the south constantly. Many amendments impacted American History, and one of them is the Eighteenth.

While it was the 18th amendment that established prohibition, it was the act called “Volstead Act” it was passed on October 28, 1919 to clarify the law. The Volstead Act clarified that “beer, wine, or any other intoxicating liquids. If they found out that you had some sort of mechanism that manufactured alcohol, you will be given a fine plus jail time for violating the prohibition. This law was and artificial law that was not going to last because, there is a lot of people that are protesting and they know the law is not going to

Since the turn of the century, many people have denounced alcohol and the danger it has on society. In some circumstances, the idea of banning alcohol was a strategic mechanisms used during the war to “ keep the country patriotic, and thus strong “(McDonnell 394). Whereas in others alcohol is simply banned for religious reasons. During the 1920’s, Prohibition was, orthe Eighteenth Amendment, was the controversy that everyone had an opinion on. The first section of the Eighteenth Amendment states that after the first year of being ratified, “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol” or the product being imported or exported of the United States was hereby prohibited.

Correspondingly, in 1919, the states ratified the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the sale, production, or consumption of alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately, prohibition would lead to extreme consequences for American citizens. There was a drop in arrests for drunkenness, especially for those in the working class who couldn't afford high-priced alcohol. Moreover, the law was hard to enforce as it was quite easy to sneak illegal alcoholic drinks over the Canadian and Caribbean borders. Money produced through the illegal sale of alcohol encouraged growth of organized crime.

The eighteenth amendment was the nationwide banning of selling, transporting, and production of all alcohol. Alcohol offered an escape for the working class taking away the stress from their manual labor. Bootleggers began to emerge as did speakeasies these would later become what mobsters build their infamous empires from. The ban on alcohol in the U.S failed miserably.

“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.” During the early twentieth century, also known as the Progressive Era, America was determined to make the country a better and safer place to live. Progressives attempted to improve the economy, public health, and living and working conditions. One of the most impactful progressive reforms that took place in the early 1900s was prohibition. The 18th amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919, placing a ban on alcoholic beverages.

Prohibition led to the rise of organized crime and failed as a policy due to many loopholes and large numbers of corrupt officials. Though started with good intentions it was not a good policy because it destroyed jobs and attempted to destroy an industry. These reasons lead to Prohibition’s failure and the repealing of the 18th Amendment in

In 1919, Congress passed the 18th Amendment which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in America (Doc B). Prohibitionists overlooked the tenacious American tradition of strong drink and of weak control by the central government. Thus, there was tension between the modernists and the traditionalists. Although the amendment was passed, alcohol was still distributed illegally. Actually, prohibition spawned many crimes, such as illegal sale of alcohol and gang wars.

During the 19th and early 20th century alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling addiction were some of the issues that confounded American society. In order to preserve social morals and improve crime rates, health, and the hygiene of Americans during the early twentieth century, the U.S Senate proposed the eighteenth amendment in 1917. The ratification of this amendment soon made the production, transportation and sale of alcohol illegal. The nationwide prohibition began in the United States in January 1920. Prohibition caused alcohol companies to be shut down by the government, yet there was still a market for alcohol consumption and American street gangs were willing to meet market demands.

The Temperance Movement, starting in 1808, was the first significant attempt to outlaw alcohol. Members of the movement believed alcohol was unconstitutional and caused family violence and crime. In 1900, Carry Nation, who believed saloons were associated with gambling, prostitution, and violence, organized the destruction of many saloons and was arrested. Later in twentieth century came the Prohibition Movement. Supporters thought the poor were wasting their limited money at saloons, and industrial leaders believed a ban on alcohol would increase productivity of workers.

In the 1920’s the 18th Amendment caused the prohibition of manufacturing, selling and transporting intoxicating-liquors. Alcohol in the United States was not longer legal. However, this did not stop most people from not consuming any alcohol.