Amendment XVIII
Ratified: January 16, 1919
Summary
Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages.
Full Text
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.
History and Context
The Eighteenth Amendment, which ushered in the era of Prohibition, was the culmination of a century-long moral crusade. The temperance movement, fueled by Protestant religious fervor and social reformers, saw alcohol as the root of all social evils—poverty, crime, and domestic abuse. The movement gained immense political power, and with the Eighteenth Amendment, they succeeded in writing their moral vision into the Constitution itself. It was a unique experiment in social engineering via constitutional amendment, prohibiting the production, sale, and transport of 'intoxicating liquors.' However, the 'noble experiment' proved to be a spectacular failure, leading to the rise of organized crime and widespread public disregard for the law.