United States
On January 11, 1920, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took full effect, formally beginning nationwide Prohibition and banning the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages. The Volstead Act provided enforcement mechanisms, leading to widespread illegal alcohol distribution (bootlegging) and speakeasies. Prohibition profoundly shaped American society, promoting organized crime and altering law enforcement practices. It also provoked debates about personal freedom, state vs. federal power, and public morality. The social tensions it caused eventually contributed to its repeal by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
