Its time for a beer, Dec 5 1933 : Prohibition ends

[Jeff High]

The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America. At 5:32 p.m. EST, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the requisite three-fourths majority of states' approval. Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day.

The movement for the prohibition of alcohol began in the early 19th century, when Americans concerned about the adverse effects of drinking began forming temperance societies. By the late 19th century, these groups had become a powerful political force, campaigning on the state level and calling for national liquor abstinence. Several states outlawed the manufacture or sale of alcohol within their own borders. In December 1917, the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. On January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment achieved the necessary three-fourths majority of state ratification. Prohibition essentially began in June of that year, but the amendment did not officially take effect until January 29, 1920.

In the meantime, Congress passed the Volstead Act on October 28, 1919, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. The Volstead Act provided for the enforcement of Prohibition, including the creation of a special Prohibition unit of the Treasury Department. In its first six months, the unit destroyed thousands of illicit stills run by bootleggers. However, federal agents and police did little more than slow the flow of booze, and organized crime flourished in America. Large-scale bootleggers like Al Capone of Chicago built criminal empires out of illegal distribution efforts, and federal and state governments lost billions in tax revenue. In most urban areas, the individual consumption of alcohol was largely tolerated and drinkers gathered at "speakeasies," the Prohibition-era term for saloons.

Prohibition, failing fully to enforce sobriety and costing billions, rapidly lost popular support in the early 1930s. In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was passed and ratified, ending national Prohibition. After the repeal of the 18th Amendment, some states continued Prohibition by maintaining statewide temperance laws. Mississippi, the last dry state in the Union, ended Prohibition in 1966.

History Channel

[Woodmonkey]

Thank God Prohibition was repealed, however, the negative effects are still felt today. One of them is that organized crime got a foothold in our country.

[Snowden]

They should have listened to the president about prohibition. It destroyed a good many lives, created alcoholics who may or may not have become alcoholics, despite the "born" theory about them.

Home brews proliferated; everybody made "bathtub gin," or its equivalent. Wine from dandelions? Yep - they say it was good. Peel the potatoes to keep the beer bubbly until I get home to bottle it - from an uncle of mine to my aunt, when he was traveling for work.

Stills making "white lightning" in the woods - stuff that blinded some for life, I heard. Black market - and, yes, the crime. Mafia had a foot in the door, and while it's apparently cleaned up its act somewhat, it still has a foot in the door.

Sherwood Distilleries, in Cockeysville, MD, put their stock in warehouses and when prohibition ended, those warehouses were open and .. empty.

The song of the day was "Happy Days Are Here Again," and it was a snappy tune, I can still hear it in my head as I write this.

The history of prohibition, how it went and what it produced, should be a lesson to us, but I wonder if it is.

[Woodmonkey]

It was Religion and Unions (or was it business?) in an unholy alliance that got Prohibition passed. The Religion because "drinking is evil" and unions thinking that it would help the workers.

[Snowden]

It was a stupid idea. Amazing that the nation went for it.

[satin_patriot]

Possibly the best hard-liquor I've ever had was moonshine. Good stuff. Clearer than water. Smelled like it could take the chrome off a spinning hubcap, but SMOOOOOOOOOOOOTH as the day is long. (No this wasn't the corn-based rat poison variety.) That was also the first time my brother ever saw me drink anything alcoholic. Good story. My big brother and 4 of his friends-- all grown men-- and me. I was the only one to drink the stuff and ask for more. A couple of them sipped it, but 2 of them wouldn't touch it after smelling it. It had almost no flavor, and no backbite at all. Nice. I'm not a fan of liquor, but that stuff was really great.

[Snowden]

Somebody had a good recipé. Did your brothers mind you drinking it?