Courtesy of Library of Congress, "18th Amendment to the Constitution," U.S. Congress, 28 January 1919
Description
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1919, banned the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States. The amendment was passed after years of efforts by temperance societies throughout the country. Various counties and states had passed temperance prohibitions throughout the previous century, but the 18th Amendment was the final effort to make prohibition nationwide.
Transcript of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Source-Dependent Questions
- Summarize the 18th Amendment in your own words
- Consider the sources "The Drunkard's Progress" and "Celebration of the Iowa Territorial Temperance Society." Describe the success of the temperance movement, which started in the antebellum period, but did not become federal law until 1919.
- Is alcohol banned in the United States today? Pick a side and prove your point: Was the temperance movement successful?
- Consider the reform movements that were most successful. What government involvement was necessary? Did the strategies the reformers used lead to decisions by either state legislatures or Congress?
Citation Information
"18th Amendment to the Constitution," U.S. Congress, 28 January 1919. Courtesy of Library of Congress