Which constitutional change established Prohibition in the United States?

Which constitutional change established Prohibition in the United States?

• A. Eighteenth Amendment
• B. Nineteenth Amendment
• C. Twenty-first Amendment
• D. Twentieth Amendment

Answer: (A)

Prohibition is tied to a change in the Constitution—the Eighteenth Amendment. Ratified in 1919, this amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating liquors across the United States. Because it was a constitutional amendment, it created a nationwide rule rather than a federal law that could be changed more easily. The move reflected the era’s reform currents, but enforcing it proved difficult, leading to widespread bootlegging and increased crime in some areas. That struggle eventually led to its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, which ended Prohibition and allowed states to regulate alcohol again. The other amendments address different topics—one expanded voting rights for women, another later repealed Prohibition, and another set terms for presidents and members of Congress—so they don’t establish Prohibition the way the Eighteenth Amendment did.

Prohibition is tied to a change in the Constitution—the Eighteenth Amendment. Ratified in 1919, this amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating liquors across the United States. Because it was a constitutional amendment, it created a nationwide rule rather than a federal law that could be changed more easily. The move reflected the era’s reform currents, but enforcing it proved difficult, leading to widespread bootlegging and increased crime in some areas. That struggle eventually led to its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, which ended Prohibition and allowed states to regulate alcohol again. The other amendments address different topics—one expanded voting rights for women, another later repealed Prohibition, and another set terms for presidents and members of Congress—so they don’t establish Prohibition the way the Eighteenth Amendment did.