Prohibition laws

Definition

Prohibition laws were federal and state laws that enforced a period of nearly 14 years (1920-1933) during which the making, selling, or transporting alcohol was illegal in the United States.

Analogy

Think of prohibition laws as a strict school rule banning all students from bringing any form of candy. Just like how some students might still sneak candy into school, many people found ways around prohibition laws too.

Related terms

Speakeasies: Secret bars where alcohol was sold illegally during Prohibition.

Bootlegging: The illegal business of transporting (smuggling) alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law.

Twenty-first Amendment: This amendment repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, effectively ending Prohibition and allowing alcohol to be legally consumed again.