Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"The 18th amendment to the American Constitution, which came into effect on January 16, 1920, banned the manufacture, sale, barter, transportation, export, or import of any intoxicating liquor. It was the work of a temperance movement that had been growing steadily since the 19th century, , , , By 1861 13 states were dry, and the Prohibition Party fought its first presidential election in 1880. . . . Millions of dollars were put into the pockets of criminals, and organized crime entered a position of power from which it has never been dislodged. Prohibition lasted until the 21st amendment came in to force in 1933, legalizing the sale and consumption of alcohol." [Furtado: 1001 Days]