Volstead Act Passed: Prohibition Becomes Law
Congress overrode President Wilson's veto on October 28, 1919, passing the Volstead Act, which defined 'intoxicating liquors' as anything containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Beer, wine, and spirits were all banned. The act was the enforcement mechanism for the Eighteenth Amendment, ratified earlier that year. Exceptions were carved out for sacramental wine, medicinal alcohol, and industrial use. Pharmacies did brisk business writing alcohol prescriptions. Churches reported surging demand for communion wine. The law created a vast illegal market. Bootleggers, speakeasies, and organized crime flourished. Al Capone's empire was built on Prohibition-era liquor distribution. By the early 1930s, public opinion had shifted decisively against the experiment. The Twenty-first Amendment repealed Prohibition on December 5, 1933.
October 28, 1919
107 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on October 28
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