The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act banned the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages across the United States starting in 1920, aiming to curb social problems tied to drinking.
Background
Rather than eliminating alcohol consumption, the ban pushed it underground, spawning illegal speakeasies, bootlegging operations, and smuggling routes from Canada and the Caribbean.
“A law meant to curb drinking instead built an entire illegal economy around it.”
The Key Events
Organized crime figures, most famously Al Capone in Chicago, built vast criminal empires around illegal alcohol distribution, often with the complicity of corrupt local officials and police.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Growing public disillusionment, lost tax revenue, and the difficulty of enforcement led to Prohibition's repeal via the 21st Amendment in 1933, and the era's organized crime networks continued influencing American criminal enterprise for decades afterward.
- Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, ended by the 21st Amendment.
- Organized crime networks expanded significantly to supply illegal alcohol.
- Enforcement costs and lost tax revenue were major factors in Prohibition's repeal.
References & Further Reading
- Daniel Okrent, *Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition*
- Britannica, entry on Prohibition
- National Archives, records on the 18th and 21st Amendments
- PBS, Prohibition documentary historical notes
