January 17th 1920,
Prohibition of alcohol in The U.S as a result of 18th Amendment
The Eighteenth Amendment (Amendment XVIII) of the United States Constitution , established the prohibition of alcohol in united states.The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and was ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919. Prohibition, legal prevention of the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933 under the terms of the Eighteenth Amendment. Although the temperance movement, which was widely supported, had succeeded in bringing about this legislation, millions of Americans were willing to drink liquor (distilled spirits) illegally, which gave rise to bootlegging (the illegal production and sale of liquor) and speakeasies (illegal, secretive drinking establishments), both of which were capitalized upon by organized crime. As a result, the Prohibition era also is remembered as a period of gangsters, characterized by competition and violent turf battles between criminal gangs.
The 18th amendment entered into force on January 17,1920,notoriously prohibiting the production and sale of intoxicating liquors throughout the country. As expected by Wilson himself,the consequences of such a decision affected both the U.S. socio-economic structure and its collective national image.Crime organizations took the lead in the production and distribution of illegal alcohol, making enormous profits in the process. Large-scale producers went bankrupt, and corruption reached unprecedented levels. Instead of reducing crime, poverty, and violence, prohibition had sparked organized crime, bootlegging, and worsened drinking habits.
Compiled by: DurreShahwar
