Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

In December 1917 the U.S. Congress moved closer toward the realization of a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. The ratification of this amendment cleared the states in January 1919, and took effect on January 16, 1920. The origins of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution can be traced back to the temperance movement in the 19th century and to attitudes and forces prevalent in earlier periods, including morality through evangelical faith, interest groups of organized citizens, and, of course, the forces of politics and economy. By the mid-1880s, the temperance movement had found a home in the legislatures of many states, but the process had been anything but smooth. Between 1851 and 1855, 13 states had passed anti-liquor laws; however, by 1865 only five states maintained these laws and by 1875 only three had done so.

This decline in the number of states creating and maintaining anti-liquor legislation was the direct result of a number of circumstantial occurrences. The increase in popularity for the Republican Party played a major role in this decrease. The Republican Party of the mid-1800s was against the use of legislation to either limit or eliminate the manufacture, distribution, or transportation of alcoholic beverages. However, it was in favor of furthering temperance through religious or moral efforts. Another contextual issue of the time was the interpretation authority of state court judges. Judges in many states either significantly limited the effectiveness of temperance-based legislation or held it to be an outright violation of the Constitution. The start of the Civil War also changed the focus of the [Page 275]nation away from morality and virtue and placed it squarely on the war itself.

New York City police watch as illicit alcohol is poured into the sewer after a raid around 1921. While the Eighteenth Amendment did not succeed in eliminating alcohol use, rates of use were lower during Prohibition than at any other time in American history.

The temperance movement was given new life, however, in the late 19th century. The creation of organizations such as the Order of Good Templars and the National Temperance Society and Publication House focused on gaining public support for their crusade against the continued use of alcohol in the American society. It was during the 1870s and 1880s, however, that the organized push toward prohibition found its beginning. During this timeframe the National Prohibitionist Party and the Women's Christian Temperance Union were first organized. Both of these organizations were designed around an evangelical understanding of morality. The National Prohibitionist Party was never fully effective at gaining enough support to win elections, either at the state or federal level. However, in 1892 it was able to garner a total of one million votes.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union, led most famously by Francis Willard from 1879 to 1898, was well organized and became the largest women's organization in the 1880s. Both the National Prohibitionist Party and the Women's Christian Temperance Union were given support [Page 276]by Senator Henry Blair, Republican of New Hampshire, who began publicly calling for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture and distribution of alcohol. The distinct characteristic of both the National Prohibitionist Party and the Women's Christian Temperance Union was their understanding that this issue was clear cut—nothing short of total prohibition was acceptable.

...