Prohibition in the United States was repealed because it was widely seen as a failed “noble experiment” that created more problems than it solved.
Social and crime effects
Instead of eliminating drinking, Prohibition drove alcohol production and sale underground, leading to widespread bootlegging, speakeasies, and the growth of organized crime empires such as those associated with figures like Al Capone. Corruption in police and politics became common as authorities were bribed to ignore illegal liquor, which undermined respect for the law.
Economic and fiscal pressures
The federal government and many states lost significant tax revenue that had previously come from legal alcohol, which became especially painful after the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. At the same time, enforcing Prohibition was expensive, so legalizing and taxing alcohol again was promoted as a way to create jobs in breweries, distilleries, and related industries and to raise much‑needed public revenue.
Changing public opinion and politics
By the late 1920s and early 1930s, public support for Prohibition had eroded as many Americans viewed it as an imposition of rural Protestant values on urban populations and as ineffective social policy. This shift allowed repeal organizations and “wet” politicians to gain strength, culminating in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential campaign, which openly called for ending Prohibition.
Legal repeal and the 21st Amendment
Congress first loosened the ban by legalizing low‑alcohol beer and wine in 1933, then approved the Twenty‑first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment outright. The amendment was ratified on December 5, 1933, ending national Prohibition and returning primary control over alcohol regulation to the states.
