On 18 December 1917, the United States Congress took a historic step by approving the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which authorised the prohibition of alcohol.
This legislative milestone reflected the growing influence of the temperance movement, which had long argued that alcohol was a root cause of societal ills such as poverty and crime.
The amendment mandated a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors, contingent upon ratification by three-fourths of the states.
While heralded as a moral victory by its proponents, the measure also sparked intense debate, foreshadowing the turbulent era of Prohibition that would shape American society and culture in profound ways.
