Volstead Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Prohibition Act of 1919 (more popularly known as the Volstead Act, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 305) enforced the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, dealing with the prohibition of alcohol. The Act is named for Representative Andrew Volstead (Republican from Minnesota), the sponsor of the Act.
In doing so, it defined the term "beer, wine, or other intoxicating malt or vinous liquors" to mean any beverage with greater than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
[edit] Legislative History
The Act was passed by the United States Congress on October 28, 1919 over the veto by President Woodrow Wilson. It went into effect with the Eighteenth Amendment on January 16, 1920.
Prohibition was effectively repealed in early 1933 by the passage of the Blaine Act which allowed "3.2 beer" (3.2% alcohol by weight, 4% by volume). The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified in December 1933, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment, and with it, repealing the Volstead Act.
