A sobering amendment
TEXT OF STORY
LISA NAPOLI: History lesson time now, with a look into the Marketplace Vault:
STACEY VANEK-SMITH: Prohibition started gaining traction in the U.S. in the early 1800s.
Temperance societies became common as people gathered to voice concerns about the effects of drinking.
These groups become a formidable political force and this week back in 1919, the prohibition amendment was added to the Constitution.
But coming between Americans and a stiff drink wasn’t easy. Authorities had a very hard time stopping the flow of booze into the country and the ban created a giant cash cow for organized crime.
Despite these problems, prohibition limped along for more than a decade until 1933 when the amendment was repealed.
I’m Stacey Vanek-Smith.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
