End of Prohibition 

U.S. #3184c from the Celebrate the Century Series.

On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was ratified, ending prohibition after nearly 15 years.

On January 16, 1919, the eighteenth amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. The final triumph of the temperance movement, whose followers believed alcohol caused immoral behavior and various social ills, it called for the prohibition of the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquor” in the United States.

Tens of millions of Americans thought Prohibition would be a cure for the nation’s poverty, crime, and violence.  Evangelist Billy Sunday held a mock funeral for alcohol stating that “the reign of tears is over…we will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs.”  Americans were so convinced that alcohol was the cause of almost all crime that some communities even sold their jails!

U.S. #3184c – Mystic First Day Cover.

The facts turned out to be much different from the hopes and dreams, however.  Prohibition actually led to an increase in crime, and the organization of crime.  It was a time when many citizens broke the law, and as crime increased, the courts and prison systems were stretched to breaking.  Instead of reducing prison populations, as was hoped by those who supported Prohibition, the Federal expenses for prisons increased 1,000%. Worst of all, many found it easier to turn to substances like opium, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs for relaxation, starting yet another problem.

U.S. #1927 was controversial – many feared the recipient of a letter with this stamp would take it as a sign the sender questioned their drinking habits.

This crime wave was most evident in cities such as Chicago, where illegal bars, called “speakeasies,” were a common sight. These bars were often protected by corrupt police officers, and thus patrons had little fear of being punished for their actions.  Chicago’s huge boom in organized crime was led by Al Capone. Capone was the leader of a $60-million-a-year illegal liquor ring. This running of alcohol was often punctuated by violence. The most striking example of this was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929, when four members of Capone’s gang, disguised as police officers, shot down seven members of a rival gang.

U.S. #RE1 – Wine stamps were first introduced in 1914.

Because of these unintended results, public opinion began to change from prohibiting alcohol sales to legalizing them again.  In 1933, America was in the midst of the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt became President.  He knew the country needed immediate relief and a plan for recovery in the future.  FDR pledged to help the “forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.”  His plan was known as the New Deal, and he began implementing it as soon as he came to office.

U.S. #REA4 – Beer stamps were first sold in 1866 to help pay the government recover from the Civil War.

On March 22, 1933, Roosevelt signed into law the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, which placed a Federal tax on alcohol.  He stated the law “was of the highest importance” as it would bring in needed tax dollars to help pay for the New Deal programs that were to help Americans during the Depression.

Just prior to this, in February 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amendment, to repeal prohibition.  The issue was then sent to the states, which each held their own state ratifying conventions.  Michigan was the first state to ratify the amendment on April 10.  On December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, securing the 3/4ths majority needed to pass it.  The repeal officially became effective 10 days later on December 15, but many people began openly drinking upon news of the ratification.

U.S. #REF4 – Fermented Juice stamp issued as a result of the Beer and Wine Revenue Act.

After this, states were given the authority to make their own laws concerning alcohol sales.  And the Federal government increased its revenue by taxing all types of alcohol.

Click here to see what else happened on This Day in History.

Christmas Favorites from the Past Decade – get 23 Christmas stamps and save $3.45.
Get a complete set of 12 Hanukkah stamps and save $1.85.

Click here for more Christmas stamps.

Did you like this article? Click here to rate:
Share this Article

6 Comments

  1. After the repeal of Prohibition, I wonder how that holiday season went (as far as celebrating) compared to prior years.

  2. In the late 1920’s my father was a law student at the University of Minnesota. On one New Year’s Eve he and a friend went to downtown Minneapolis and stopped in a hotel ballroom where dancing, entertainment and celebrating were occurring. He said he had never seen so many drunk people in one place before.
    A few years, later near the end of the Prohibition era, he was a municipal judge and in that capacity dealt with persons appearing before him charged with the illegal manufacture of liquor.

  3. It just goes to show that no matter what is done to suppress, reduce, lessen, or control what may be considered an ill of society, always backfires. We are human, we simply have yet to realize we are. Hey, this does not make sense-
    exactly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *