What is the Eighteenth Amendment

• Steven Topazio wrote this September 16, 2024 at 10:08 pm

The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in 1919, instituted the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. It banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The amendment gave Congress and the states the power to enforce prohibition through appropriate legislation.

The Eighteenth Amendment marked the start of the Prohibition era, which lasted until the amendment was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933. The Twenty-first Amendment ended Prohibition, making the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages legal again in the United States. This repeal marked the only instance in U.S. history where one constitutional amendment has been entirely nullified by another.