The Eighteenth Amendment Essay Example

Introduction

The eighteenth amendment of the American Constitution which is also referred to as the National Prohibition Amendment, aimed at banning the sale, production, transportation, and manufacture of intoxicating beverages within the U.S. In contrast to popular belief, the 18th amendment did not forbid the consumption or purchase of alcohol. The Amendment was proposed by the Congress in 1917, and passed on December 18, the same year and day by the Senate. Its ratification by the necessary states was done in the year 1919, and a year later, it went into effect (Burns et al., 2011). While the 18th Amendment sought to modernize the American society through outlawing alcohol in the country, it failed due to the demand for alcohol and alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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Factors that led to the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment

The year 1920 saw Americans vote for the normalcy conservative promised by Warren Harding. The Act was developed in an effort to turn the general public away from the progressive reform as well as the presidency of Woodrow Wilson (Hall, 2010). However, as the American society sought for new methods of achieving a social equilibrium, one reform had already been passed. The prohibition movement achieved its success during the First World War with the adoption of the 18th Amendment. The issue of prohibition can be traced to several decades back, but given the level of alcohol consumption in the United States, the Amendment was bound to fail. There are numerous factors that contributed to the passing of the 18th Amendment.

The rise of temperance organizations at the start of the 20th century is one of the factors contributing to the 18th Amendment. During this period, key temperance organizations such as the Anti-Saloon League and Women's Christian Temperance Union shifted their focus from changing the lives of individuals to being actively involved in the legal prohibition of alcohol in the United States (Aaron & Musto, 1981). These organizations derived from the theme of morality, claiming that alcohol served to destroy the moral composition of American society, resulting in individuals becoming less productive. Alcohol also faced opposition drawing from the notion that it destroyed American families.

The development of scientific and medical research is another factor that contributed to the 18th Amendment. The advances in methods and procedures for conducting medical and scientific research resulted in the increased exploration of alcohol and its impacts on the health of individuals. Research showed that alcohol had more negative consequences than positive ones, and those who supported the national prohibition drew from these findings.

The search for economic growth was a contributing factor to the national prohibition. Supporters of the 18th Amendment were under the impression that with the law into effect, the sales of other products such as household items, clothing, and other goods would be higher. Landlords and real estate developers thought that with the close down of saloons and the improvement of the neighborhoods, the rents would increase. Development was expected across companies dealing with soft drinks, chewing gum, and grape juice. Additionally, theatre producers expected to see more crowds as the society searched for new strategies of substituting alcohol.

Reasons for Failure of the 18th Amendment

Prohibition of alcohol in all of the United States was a rather bold move by Congress. However, the consequences resulting from prohibition persevered, threatening the safety, economy, health, well-being, and morality of the American society (Hanson, n.d.). As the adverse effects of the 18th Amendment grew, its opposition also grew. There were various reasons that contributed to the repeal of the 18th Amendment and its ultimate failure.

One of the reasons was that the key supporters of the prohibition started seeking for a repeal. An example was John D. Rockefeller, who had donated huge sums of money to the Anti-Saloon League, one of the key temperance organizations that supported the national prohibition.

Rockefeller supports his shift in beliefs by stating:

That this has not been the result, but rather that drinking has generally increased; that the speakeasy has replaced the saloon, not only unit for unit but probably two-fold if not three-fold; that a vast array of lawbreakers has been recruited and financed on a colossal scale; that many of our best citizens, piqued at what they regarded as an infringement of their private rights, have openly and unabashedly disregarded the Eighteenth Amendment; that as an inevitable result respect for all law has been greatly lessened; that crime has increased to an unprecedented degree - I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe (Mendelson, & Mello, 1985).

Rockefeller explains that while the 18th was into effect, drinking increased instead of reducing. This was attributed to the reduced respect for law across American society.

Politics was another factor contributing to the failure of the 18th Amendment. In the year 1932, the Democratic Party platform included a plank against the national prohibition. Promising the American society repeal, Franklin Roosevelt ran for the presidency, with the popular vote for opposing repeal being 26% while that in favor earning 74% (Hanson, n.d.). The American public rejected the 18th Amendment, with only one state opposing repeal. On December 5, 1933, the repeal of the 18th Amendment occurred and prohibition was lifted.

References

Aaron, P., & Musto, D. (1981). Temperance and prohibition in America: A historical overview. Alcohol and public policy: Beyond the shadow of prohibition, 127-181.

Burns, K., Burns, K., Novick, L., & Arkin, A. (2011). Prohibition. PBS Distribution.

Hall, W. (2010). What are the policy lessons of National Alcohol Prohibition in the United States, 1920-1933?. Addiction, 105(7), 1164-1173.

J. Hanson, P. 18th Amendment (Eighteenth Amendment): The Prohibition Amendment's Ratification & Repeal. Retrieved from https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/18th-amendment/

Mendelson, J. H., & Mello, N. K. (1985). The diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism. McGraw-Hill Companies.