Congress Passes The Volstead Act | World History Project Oct 28 1919 Congress Passes The Volstead Act On October 28, 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act providing for enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified nine months earlier. Known as the Prohibition Amendment, it prohibited the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" in the United States. The movement to prohibit alcohol began in the early years of the nineteenth century when individuals concerned about the adverse effects of drink began forming local societies to promote temperance in consumption of alcohol. The first temperance societies were organized in New York (1808) and Massachusetts (1813). Members, many of whom belonged to Protestant evangelical denominations, frequently met in local churches. As time passed, most temperance societies began to call for complete abstinence from all alcoholic beverages. The Anti-Saloon League, founded in Ohio in 1893 and organized as a national society in 1895, helped pave the way for passage of the Eighteenth Amendment with an effective campaign calling for prohibition at the state level.

By January 1920, thirty-three states had already enacted laws prohibiting alcohol. Between 1920 and 1933, the Anti-Saloon League lobbied for strict federal enforcement of the Volstead Act. Source: Library of Congress Added by: Aimee Lucido The Volstead Act, which reinforced the prohibition of alcohol in the United States of America, was named for Andrew Volstead, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversaw its passage. However, Volstead served as the legislation's sponsor and facilitator rather than its author. It was the Anti-Saloon League's Wayne Wheeler who conceived and drafted the bill. The bill was vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson (largely on technical grounds, because it also covered wartime prohibition) but overridden by Congress on the same day, October 28, 1919. The Act specified that "no person shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, or furnish any intoxicating liquor except as authorized by this act". It did not specifically prohibit the use of intoxicating liquors.

The act defined intoxicating liquor as any beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol and superseded all existing prohibition laws in effect in states that had such legislation. The combination of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the laws passed under its authority became known simply as "Prohibition" and enormously affected United States society in the 1920s (popularly known as the Roaring Twenties). Source: Wikipedia Added by: Aimee Lucido “ We have only to look about us in this great city, to observe the traces of the deadly influence of intemperance. Everywhere, we face crime, disease and death, all testify to the necessity of the prosecution of the cause, of steadfast and unwavering effort and prompt action to lead to complete success.” — Charles C. Burleigh, Address to the Whole World's Temperance Convention Today in History - October 28 | Library of Congress Library of Congress Today in History - October 28 October 28 Listen to this page Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor and the National Geographic Society October 28 marks the birth date of Gilbert H.

Grosvenor, the editor credited with transforming National Geographic Magazine External from a small scholarly journal into a dynamic world-renowned monthly. Born in Istanbul , Turkey, in 1875, Grosvenor’s family immigrated to the United States when he was fifteen, where he became an honor student, eventually studying at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Grosvenor joined the magazine in 1899 as an assistant editor. National Geographic Society. Exterior of National Geographic Society . [Washington, D.C.], circa 1920-1950. Horydczak Collection . Prints & Photographs Division Gilbert Grosvenor was recommended for the position by a friend of his father’s, inventor Alexander Graham Bell , who was at the time, president of the National Geographic Society. Bell became his father-in-law shortly thereafter when, in 1900, Grosvenor wed Bell’s daughter, Elsie May. Four years after joining National Geographic, Grosvenor took over as editor-in-chief and in 1920, he was elected president of the the society.

Grosvenor filled the dual roles of editor of the magazine and president of the society until 1954, when he resigned to become chairman of the board, a position he held until his death in 1966. [Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, head of National Geographic Society, half-length portrait, standing, facing slightly left / photo. by Bain News Service, New York] . [1927]. Bain Collection . Prints & Photographs Division The National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1888 to support “the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.” The society’s founders, an eclectic group of well-traveled men, considered a magazine one means of accomplishing this mission. They published the first National Geographic nine months after forming the organization. Detail of Family Tree of Gilbert Grosvenor and Elsie May Bell. Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers at the Library of Congress . Manuscript Division In its early years, National Geographic was a journal with a plain cover and a circulation of less than one thousand.

Under Grosvenor’s leadership, the magazine developed its extraordinary photographic service and map department, ultimately boosting membership from 900 in 1899 to more than 2 million at the time of his retirement in 1955. During Grosvenor’s tenure, using revenues from the magazine, the society sponsored many notable expeditions and research projects including Admiral Robert Peary ‘s 1909 expedition to the North Pole; Hiram Bingham’s 1911 discovery of Machu Picchu , and William Beebe’s record-setting undersea descent in 1934. The National Geographic Society continues this tradition, and has sponsored more than 8,000 research projects and more than 500 expeditions around the globe. Richly illustrated within the magazine, these explorations of land, air, and sea have introduced millions of people to amazing new worlds. Today, the National Geographic Society External is the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization of its kind. In addition to publishing its flagship magazine, the society produces a wide array of educational materials and programs. The subject of many of these is the conservation and protection of wildlife, causes long championed by Gilbert H. Grosvenor. Books.

Bound Volume 54 of National Geographic Magazine . circa 1920-1950. Horydczak Collection . Prints & Photographs Division Learn More Search on Grosvenor in the Daguerreotypes collection to retrieve ten daguerreotypes of the Bell family, part of the Gilbert H. Grosvenor Collection of Photographs of the Alexander Graham Bell Family. Included are images of Alexander Graham Bell’s wife, Mabel Hubbard , and his grandfather, Alexander Bell . The family tree of Gilbert Grosvenor and Elsie May Bell and photographs of the Grosvenors and their children are among several Bell family trees and numerous photographs found in the collection, Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers at the Library of Congress . Don’t miss the photograph of Bell flying a kite with his grandson, Melville Grosvenor . For more information about Grosvenor’s father-in-law, Alexander Graham Bell, see the Today in History features on Bell’s telephone and photophone inventions. Learn more about the movement to conserve and protect America’s natural heritage. Visit The Evolution of the Conservation Movement: 1850-1920 .

Temperance and Prohibition On October 28, 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act providing for enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified nine months earlier. Known as the Prohibition Amendment, it prohibited the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” in the United States. We have only to look about us in this great city, to observe the traces of the deadly influence of intemperance. Everywhere, we face crime, disease and death, all testify to the necessity of the prosecution of the cause, of steadfast and unwavering effort and prompt action to lead to complete success. Unidentified Woman, Half-length Portrait, Facing Front, Holding a Copy of the Book “Sons of Temperance Offering” for 1851 . ca. 1851. Daguerreotypes . Prints & Photographs Division The movement to prohibit alcohol began in the early years of the nineteenth century when individuals concerned about the adverse effects of drink began forming local societies to promote temperance in the consumption of alcohol. Some of the earliest temperance societies were organized in New York (1808) and Massachusetts (1813).

Many of the members of these societies belonged to Protestant evangelical denominations and eventually organized religion played a significant role in the movements. As time passed, most temperance societies began to call for complete abstinence from all alcoholic beverages. The Anti-Saloon League, founded in Ohio in 1893 and organized as a national society in 1895, helped pave the way for passage of the Eighteenth Amendment with an effective campaign calling for prohibition at the state level. Their success is reflected by the fact that as of January 1920, thirty-three states had already enacted laws prohibiting alcohol. Between 1920 and 1933, the Anti-Saloon League lobbied for strict federal enforcement of the Volstead Act. Sixteenth Convention, Anti-Saloon League of America at Atlantic City, N.J., July 6-9, 1915 . Thomas Sparrow, photographer,July 1915. Panoramic Photographs .

Prints & Photographs Division Organizations like the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union , founded by reformer and educator Frances Willard in 1883, mobilized thousands of women in the fight for temperance. “ I Never Knew I Had a Wonderful Wife Until the Town Went Dry External ,” Words by Lew Brown; Music by Albert Von Tilzer; New York: Broadway Music, 1919. Historic American Sheet Music: 1850-1920 External Willard also worked for women’s suffrage, as did many other women who found their political awareness expanded by involvement in the temperance crusade. Given their political and economic vulnerability, nineteenth-century women’s lives were easily devastated if the men they depended on “took to drink.” Famous for attacking saloons with a hatchet, Carry Nation’s flamboyant activism evolved from her upbringing in an atmosphere of strong religious beliefs and a failed marriage to an alcoholic. Although few embraced Nation’s extreme stance, Prohibition was viewed by many as a progressive social reform that would improve and protect the lives of women and children.

The Volstead Act ultimately failed to prevent the large-scale production, importation, and sale of liquor in the United States, and the Prohibition Amendment was repealed in 1933. U.S. Officials Destroying Liquor at the Brownsville Customs House External . Robert Runyon, photographer, December 20, 1920. The South Texas Border: The Robert Runyon Photograph Collection External Taken from Inventing Entertainment: the Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies , the following recordings from the early 1920s lampoon Prohibition. “Dinnie Donohue” relies on the ethnic stereotype of a drunken Irishman, while “Save a Little Dram” features a minister complaining that his congregation is stingy with their gin. Written by Will E. Skidmore and Marshall Walker, Performed by Duke Rogers, Orange, N.J.: Edison, 1922. Learn More Learn a temperance song.

The sheet music collections contain a wealth of songs from the temperance movement and the Prohibition era, including the pathetic “ Drink: A Temperance Song ,” the virtuous “The Lips that Touch Liquor Shall Never Touch Mine ,” and the comical “I Never Knew I Had a Wonderful Wife Until the Town Went Dry.” Search across the sheet music collections on temperance, prohibition, or drink. Explore African-American views on Prohibition. Search the collection The African-American Experience in Ohio: Selections from the Ohio Historical Society, 1850-1920 External on temperance to read the African Methodist Episcopal(A.M.E.) Church ReviewExternal on the subject of drink. Championing Prohibition in an article published in the January 1890 issue, the Rev. J. D. Peterson argued, “while we have temperate drinkers we shall ever be infested with drunkards, for the latter are manufactured from the former.” National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) | MNopedia National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) Creator: Print A group of people dismantling a still at Pillsbury and Charles Streets in St. Paul, c.1925.

Writers of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution took a little more than one hundred words to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. It fell to Minnesota Congressman Andrew Volstead to write the regulations and rules for enforcement. The twelve-thousand-word Volstead Act remained in effect for thirteen years, from 1920 until Prohibition was repealed in December 1933. The Eighteenth Amendment required one year between ratification by the states and the beginning of enforcement. Congress needed that time to create the new law's specific regulations. Minnesota Congressman Andrew Volstead, as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was responsible for writing the National Prohibition Act, a law that became known as the Volstead Act. The stern-faced congressman from Granite Falls set out to moderate the strict philosophy of the amendment’s primary promoting group, the Anti-Saloon League. They and other unwavering prohibitionists had sought to prevent even one drop of alcohol from being sold. Volstead struck a balanced approach between the spirit of the law and practical realities. His legislation continued the existing prescription of alcohol for medicinal purposes.

It also allowed the brewing and sale of “near beer” with an alcoholic content of no more than one half of one percent, and the home manufacture of alcoholic, but “non-intoxicating,” fruit juice and cider. Volstead said that he put in as much alcohol as the Congress would stand for. Prohibition as enforced by the Volstead Act transformed American streets, businesses, and social life. In Minnesota the streetscape had changed seven months earlier when the state legislature voted for full compliance with the War Prohibition Act that went into effect on July 1, 1919. In Little Falls, the town’s fourteen saloons closed overnight, with some of the dealers now selling soft drinks. In the Twin Cities, the Salvation Army turned some closed beer parlors into canteens for the entertainment of returned soldiers and sailors. Go-getter businessmen quickly recognized the business opportunities in non-alcoholic beverages, ice cream sundaes, and sodas. In Willmar, ground was broken for a new inn in April 1920 with the owners promising a first-class refreshment parlor. C. B. Nelson of Turtle Lake added a soda fountain and ice cream stand to his pool hall in May 1920.

Popular treats described in soda fountain trade journals included the Prohibition Sour, the Flapper Frappe, and the Independence Day Sundae. To take advantage of increasing sales of soft drinks, companies including the Minneapolis-based Brazilla created new fruit and cola flavors. Minnesota breweries were significantly impacted. Many, such as the Kiewel Brewery in Little Falls, accommodated a variety of new enterprises while keeping their plants ready to convert back into active beer making should Prohibition be repealed. Kiewel used its former cold beer rooms to churn and keep ice cream. They also made legal, non-alcoholic malt beverages. Not everyone in the general public supported the Volstead Act’s restrictions. Minnesota newspapers reported on local raids and the arrests of traveling bootleggers. One raid at the Preiss brewery in St. Cloud resulted in five arrests for brewing beer of more than 2.5 percent alcohol. At the Remmler plant in Red Wing, beer as high as 3 percent alcohol was found. Those tempted to make or consume home-brewed moonshine were confronted with front-page stories about people who had died from drinking bad booze with the empty bottles by their side.

Newspaper editorials in the Bemidji Daily Pioneer urged their readers to follow the Volstead Act laws. People who bought illegal alcoholic beverages or went to speakeasies, they warned, were as guilty as the bootleggers or moonshiners in promoting a destructive atmosphere of lawlessness. Volstead’s mail reflected both approval and disapproval of the law that took his name. Letters praising the effects of saloon-free streets were counterbalanced by those that accused the congressman of taking bribes and overreaching. He received death threats. Volstead was narrowly reelected in the first election after Prohibition went into effect. He lost his bid for an eleventh term two years later in November 1922. The Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act were overturned when the states ratified the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution, which made alcoholic beverage policy a matter for each state. Cite “Bootleggers Arrested.” Willmar Tribune, October 20, 1920. “Dry Agents Seize Red Wing Brewery.” Little Falls Herald, July 15, 1921. “Editorial.” Bemidji Daily Pioneer, November 25, 1921.

Eighmey, Rae Katherine. Soda Shop Salvation: Recipes and Stories from the Lighter Side of Prohibition. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2013. “Everybody Can Own a Ford Now.” Bemidji Daily Pioneer, February 21, 1922. Merz, Charles. The Dry Decade. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1970. Reprint of 1931 edition. “Minnesota Saloons and Breweries Close Under War Mandate.” Bemidji Daily Pioneer, July 1, 1919. “Moonshine Kills Husband and Father.” Warren Sheaf, August 30, 1922. “Saloons Close—Have Eleventh Hour Rush.” Little Falls Herald, July 4, 1919. “St. Cloud Brewery Raided.” Little Falls Herald, September 10, 1920. “Volstead Put In As Much Booze As ‘Congress Would Stand For,’ He Admits.” Wilmer Tribune, October 27, 1920.

Related Resources VOLSTEAD ACT VOLSTEAD ACT The Volstead Act (National Prohibition Enforcement Act), passed on October 28, 1919, provided for enforcement of the recently ratified Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. The act, passed over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, affirmed and further specified the provisions of the Eighteenth Amendment, delineated fines and prison terms for violation of the law, empowered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to administer Prohibition, and classified as alcoholic all beverages containing more than one-half of 1 percent alcohol by volume. The temperance movement had been active in the United States for most of the nineteenth century and since 1900 had placed increasing emphasis on legal prohibition rather than personal reform. By 1914, fourteen states had adopted prohibition; by 1919, the number had risen to twenty-six.

Even many temperance advocates had opposed the extension of federal power necessarily involved in national prohibition, but with the outbreak of World War I, the Anti-Saloon League was able to win passage of various federal prohibitory laws as part of the war effort, either to protect the morals of servicemen or to conserve grain for nutritional purposes. Thus, the principal effect of the Volstead Act was to extend the wartime measures to peacetime. Once passed, Prohibition proved extraordinarily difficult to enforce. Although overall drinking was generally thought to have declined, it continued uninterrupted in many parts of the country, particularly in large cities and in areas with large foreign-born populations. Critics pointed to the demoralizing effect of a law that was routinely violated by respectable citizens and maintained that the profitable business of supplying illegal liquor fostered the growth of organized crime and the corruption of public officials. Calls for repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment began as early as 1923. Republicans continued to defend the "experiment noble in purpose" (as President Herbert Hoover called it), but division over the issue nearly sundered the Democratic party in 1928.

An investigation ordered by Hoover in 1929 and completed in 1931 confirmed that the Eighteenth Amendment remained largely unenforced. In 1932, the Democrats came out for repeal of Prohibition. Their overwhelming electoral victory encouraged Congress to pass the Twenty-first Amendment, repealing the Eighteenth, on February 20, 1933. On March 22, the Volstead Act was amended to permit the sale of 3.2 percent beer and wine. Once the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified the following December, the Volstead Act became void. Congress enforces prohibition - Oct 28, 1919 - HISTORY.com Congress enforces prohibition Publisher A+E Networks Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. The Volstead Act provided for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, also known as the Prohibition Amendment. 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. 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. In January 1919, the 18th amendment achieved the necessary two-thirds majority of state ratification, and prohibition became the law of the land. The Volstead Act, passed nine months later, provided for the enforcement of prohibition, including the creation of a special unit of the Treasury Department. Despite a vigorous effort by law-enforcement agencies, the Volstead Act failed to prevent the large-scale distribution of alcoholic beverages, and organized crime flourished in America. In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was passed and ratified, repealing prohibition. Related Videos The Volstead Act | National Archives National History Day Topic Resources The Volstead Act By the turn of the 20th century, temperance societies were prevalent in the United States.

Concerned citizens had begun warning others about the effects of alcohol nearly 100 years earlier. In 1826 the American Temperance Society was founded to convince people to abstain from drinking. Not long after, the Women's Christian Temperance Union pledged not only to ban alcohol and drugs, but to improve public morals. The anti-Saloon League was formed in 1893 and eventually became a powerful political force in passing a national ban on alcoholic beverages. Women were strongly behind the temperance movement, for alcohol was seen as the destroyer of families and marriages. Men would often spend their money on alcohol, leaving women with no money to provide for their children. Factory owners also supported temperance as well because of the new work habits that were required of industrial workers - early mornings and long nights. Progressive reformers also took to Prohibition for they saw it as a continuation of their efforts to improve society in general. Temperance societies and Progressives alike saw the need for more governmental control and involvement in citizens' lives. They were successful in passing several laws at the local level. Between 1905 and 1917, states across the nation were imposing laws that prohibited the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages.

They did not stop there, however. The temperance societies began to push to change American society and elevate morality through national legislation. In 1917, the House of Representatives wanted to make Prohibition the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Congress sent the amendment to the states for ratification, where it needed three-fourths approval. The amendment stipulated a time limit of seven years for the states to pass this amendment. In just 13 months enough states said yes to the amendment that would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic liquors. The amendment worked at first, liquor consumption dropped, arrests for drunkenness fell, and the price for illegal alcohol rose higher than the average worker could afford. Alcohol consumption dropped by 30 percent and the United States Brewers' Association admitted that the consumption of hard liquor was off 50 percent during Prohibition. These statistics however, do not reflect the growing disobedience toward the law and law enforcement. The intensity of the temperance advocates was matched only by the inventiveness of those who wanted to keep drinking. Enforcing Prohibition proved to be extremely difficult.

The illegal production and distribution of liquor, or bootlegging, became rampant, and the national government did not have the means or desire to try to enforce every border, lake, river, and speakeasy in America. In fact, by 1925 in New York City alone there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs. The demand for alcohol was outweighing (and out-winning) the demand for sobriety. People found clever ways to evade Prohibition agents. They carried hip flasks, hollowed canes, false books, and the like. While Prohibition assisted the poor factory workers who could not afford liquor, all in all, neither federal nor local authorities would commit the resources necessary to enforce the Volstead Act. For example, the state of Maryland refused to pass any enforcement issue. Prohibition made life in America more violent, with open rebellion against the law and organized crime. In this lesson, students will be historians examining the documents listed above, trying to find out why "the great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and far reaching in purpose" as Herbert Hoover called it, did not work.

Students should try to identify the changing values and cultural pressures at the beginning of the 20th century. How are these similar to and different from those we are experiencing at the advent of the 21st century? What can we learn from Prohibition? How can we compare it to our own war on drugs? What cultural movements are happening today that relate to this time in American history? Use these questions and others to guide your students through their research on this "experiment." Resources Boardman, Fon W. Jr. America and the Jazz Age: A History of the 1920's. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1968. Downey, Matthew T., et al. Volume II: The Roaring Twenties and an Unsettled Peace. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992. Mowry, George E. The Twenties: Fords, Flappers & Fanatics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1963. Pietrusaz, David. The Roaring Twenties. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books,. 1998. Time Life Books.

1920-1930. Volume III. New York: Time Inc.,1969. The Documents 18th Amendment to the Constitution The Volstead Act Record Group 11 General Records of the United States Government National Archives and Records Administration National Archives Identifier: 299827 Letter concerning the transportation of liquor from California to Washington. Record Group 56 Records of the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prohibition National Archives and Records Administration National Archives Identifier: 298430 Enlarge Drawing of a Still Record Group 56Records of the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prohibition National Archives and Records Administration National Archives Identifier: 298446 Letter from Harry S. Truman to Bess Wallace alluding to the adoption of Prohibition. Correspondence from Harry S.

Truman to Bess Wallace Truman, 1910-1959 Records of the Truman Presidential Library National Archives and Records Administration National Archives Identifier: 200650 Volstead Act - Drugs | Laws.com Share 0 Share 0 Tweet 0 +1 0 Share Volstead Act Share Share 0 Tweet 0 +1 0 Share 0 What is the Volstead Act? The Volstead Act (formally known as the National Prohibition Act) was the piece of legislation that effectively enabled the Eighteenth Amendment which ultimately established prohibition in the United States. Introduced to Congress in 1919, the Volstead Act was deemed necessary to elucidate on the provisions of the Eighteenth Amendment. The Eighteenth Amendment, which stated that the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within the United States and all territories subject to the nation is prohibited, was deemed brief and ambiguous in regards to its provisions. The primary question regarding the Amendment revolved around the definition of “intoxicating liquors”. This term, as well as many others, needed specific legal clarification as well as the attachment of penalties for its proper legislation and enforcement to occur.

Thus, the required enabling of the Eighteenth Amendment was known as the Volstead Act—the legislation was named after Congressman Andrew Volstead who served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Although Volstead sponsored the legislation, the Volstead Act was written by Wayne Wheeler of the Anti-Saloon League. Wheeler conceived the Volstad act and drafted the bill to delineate intoxicating liquors and to transform an otherwise obscure piece of legislation to an all-encompassing national bill. The Volstead act was initially vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson on the grounds that the bill violated ethical and constitutional principles. This veto; however, was overridden by the United States Congress on the same day, October 28th of 1919. The Procedure of the Volstead Act: As stated before, the Eighteenth Amendment created a basis for the ban alcohol in the United States, but failed to define what drinks were illegal and the attached penalties for producing, supplying or consuming them.

When the Volstead Act was accepted by the House on October 28, 1919, it laid-out its three distinct goals: • The Volstead Act 1920 aimed to prohibit intoxicating beverages • The Volstead Act 1920 wanted to ensure that an ample supply of alcohol would be present in the nation only to promote its use in research and in the development of dye, fuel and other lawful practices. • The Volstead Act 1920 aimed to regulate the production, use and sale of all high-proof drinks and spirits used for alternative purposes. The Volstead act 1920 provided that no individual shall manufacture, sell, transport, import or export any liquor except as authorized in the aforementioned provisions. However, the Volstead act did not distinctively prohibit the use of liquors. Furthermore, the Volstead Act defined “intoxicating liquors” to mean any beverage that contained more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. This limit effectively superseded any existing prohibition laws in states that implemented such legislation. The Volstead Act was over 25 pages in length—a considerable upgrade from the 111-word 18th Amendment.

That being said, many of the provisions of the legislation were confusing; a number of courts implied different notions to the bill. The day before the Volstead Act was put into effect, various newspapers interpreted the primary provisions to read as such: • An individual may drink intoxicating liquors in their place of home or in a friend’s home when you are regarded as a bona fide guest. • An individual may purchase intoxicating liquor if prescribed by a license medical doctor. If a prescription is secured, only a pint every 10 days can be purchased. • Any place in which an individual lives in permanently can be concluded as one’s home. If the said individual has more than one home, they are allowed to keep a stock of liquor in each.

• An individual may keep liquor in a club locker or storage room, provided these areas are exclusive only to the said person • If an individual wants to transport liquor, they are required to secure a permit • An individual may manufacture, sell or transport alcoholic beverages for sacramental or non-beverage purposes if the said individual obtains a government permit to do so • The carrying of hip flasks are barred by the Volstead Act 1920 • An individual is barred from bringing liquor to hotels or restaurants and is not allowed to drink in public dining rooms • An individual cannot buy or sell formulas nor recipes to produce homemade liquor • An individual is barred from manufacturing anything above .5% (liquor’s strength) in one’s home • Liquor signs and advertisements for liquor cannot be placed on one’s resident • The removing of reserve stocks from storage is illegal Enforcement of the Volstead Acts: The effects of the Volstead Acts (prohibition) were utterly unexpected. The importation, production and distribution of alcohol were usurped by criminal organizations, which took part in violent gang wars to control the alcohol market. Gangsters, like Al Capone and Tom Dennison grew incredibly wealthy and were admired for their abilities to bring alcohol to the people.

Enforcement of the Volstead Act was difficult because these criminal organizations became so powerful and loved that they effectively bribed police officers, judges and politicians. In addition to the cultural shift (the Roaring 20’s popularized cocktails and the cocktail party) and the glorification of mobsters, the Volstead Acts were difficult to enforce because of the numerous exceptions and exemptions found in the bill. For example, the Volstead Acts enabled doctors to prescribe whiskey to ailing patients, but limited the prescribed amount. Subsequently, various political leaders pressured Congress to remove this limit because they questioned the therapeutic value of capped treatments. The Volstead Acts also called for trials for any individual charged with an alcohol-related offense. These trials were largely viewed as a joke, as juries often failed to convict the accused. Ultimately, prohibition lost support as alcohol gained an increasing social acceptation. The provisions of the Volstead acts and the attempted enforcement of said laws spawned distaste for the law and a growth for organized crime units.

By the early 1930s public opposition became so overwhelming that Congress sought to pass the Cullen-Harrison Act which legalized beer and wines with 3.2% alcohol—this raised the 0.5% limit instituted by the original Volstead Act 1920. Congress passed a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal Prohibition in December of 1933. The government and coordinating states ratified the Twenty-first Amendment (repealed the Eighteenth Amendment) and rendered the Volstead Act 1920 unconstitutional. This legislative maneuver shifted the control (in terms of regulation) of alcohol to the individual states. The Volstead Act | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives The Volstead Act October 28, 1919 Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Serving a total of 10 terms in the House of Representatives, Andrew Volstead of Minnesota chaired the Judiciary Committee in the 66th and 67th Congresses (1919-1923). On this date, the 66th Congress (1919–1921) overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the National Prohibition Act.

Known as the Volstead Act (H.R. 6810), after Judiciary Chairman Andrew Volstead of Minnesota, this law was introduced by the House to implement the Prohibition Amendment by defining the process and procedures for banning alcoholic beverages, as well as their production and distribution. When Volstead introduced an earlier version of the law (H.R. 3458) on May 27, 1919, Democrats countered with what would be known as the “wet law,” or repeal of the Wartime Prohibition. The battle between the “wets” and the “bone-drys,” as Prohibition supporters were known, ensued that summer in the House. In one debate, Chairman Volstead defended the act, stating “The American people have said that they do not want any liquor sold, and they have said it emphatically by passing almost unanimously the constitutional amendment.” With a Republican majority in the House, the law passed the chamber convincingly on July 22, 1919 with a vote 287 to 100. The Volstead Act remained in effect until the passage of the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition in 1933.

Related Highlight Subjects Volstead Act | MarkJonesBooks MarkJonesBooks Author and Speaker – Challenging Assumptions & Presumptions Secondary Menu by markjonesbooks | Leave a comment October 28, 1919 Congress enacted legislation called the National Prohibition Act, better known as the Volstead Act, It was vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson on October 27, 1919. Later that day, the veto was overridden by the House on October 27, 1919 (175–55) and by the Senate (65-20). It became law on October 28 and was one of the most disastrous Acts ever passed by Congress. The three distinct purposes of the Act were: to prohibit intoxicating beverages, to regulate the manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquor (but not consumption), and to ensure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye and other lawful industries and practices, such as religious rituals.

It provided further that “no person shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, or furnish any intoxicating liquor except as authorized by this act.” It did not specifically prohibit the use of intoxicating liquors. The act defined intoxicating liquor as any beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume and superseded all existing prohibition laws in effect in states that had such legislation. Prohibition came into force at midnight on January 17, 1920. The first documented infringement of the Volstead Act occurred in Chicago on January 17 at 12:59 a.m. Six armed men stole $100,000 worth of “medicinal” whiskey from two freight train cars. This trend in bootlegging liquor created a domino effect, with criminals across the United States. In fact, some gang leaders were stashing liquor months before the Volstead Act was enforced. The ability to sustain a lucrative business in bootlegging liquor was largely helped by the minimal police surveillance at the time. There were only 134 agents designated by the Prohibition Unit to cover all of Illinois, Iowa, and parts of Wisconsin. According to Charles C.

Fitzmorris, Chicago’s Chief of Police during the beginning of the Prohibition period: “Sixty percent of my police [were] in the bootleg business.” Section 29 of the Act allowed 200 gallons (the equivalent of about 1000 750 ml bottles) of “non-intoxicating cider and fruit juice” to be made each year at home. “Intoxicating” was defined as anything more than 0.5%, but the Bureau of Internal Revenue soon struck that down and this effectively legalized home wine-making. For beer, however, the 0.5% limit remained until 1933. The Act contained a number of exceptions and exemptions. Many of these were used to evade the law’s intended purpose. For example, the Act allowed a physician to prescribe whiskey for his patients, but limited the amount that could be prescribed. Subsequently, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association voted to submit to Congress a bill to remove the limit on the amount of whiskey that could be prescribed and questioning the ability of a legislature to determine the therapeutic value of any substance.

The Act called for trials for anyone charged with an alcohol-related offense, but juries often failed to convict their fellow citizens of a “crime” of which they were also guilty. Share this:

Question: The Volstead Act, that became law in the USA on 28 October 1919, concerned what?
Answer: Prohibition of alcohol