What Was Prohibition?

3. The 18th Amendment

Ratification of the 18th Amendment occurred on January 29th, 1919. During World War I, in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson had enacted a wartime prohibition, which was to be temporary. This ensured the use of grain for war efforts rather than alcohol. When Congress submitted the 18th Amendment, it took only 11 months to be ratified; much sooner than their projected seven years. At the time, there were already 33 states with some sort of prohibition legislation in place. Followed by the passage of the Volstead Act in October of that year, prohibition became law at midnight on January 17, 1920.