The Volstead Act

The Volstead Act, enacted in 1919, was a law that provided the legal framework to enforce the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States. It defined what constituted alcoholic beverages and set penalties for violations, effectively establishing federal authority to enforce Prohibition. The act aimed to limit alcohol consumption for health and moral reasons, but it also led to the rise of illegal speakeasies and organized crime, highlighting the complexities of enforcing such a broad ban on alcohol.