January 17 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment was passed which prohibited the manufacture sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors while still allowing the possession production and consumption in one s own private home For decades Temperance Movements fought to rid the ills of society by banning the production and sales of alcohol The movement was initially met positively and was expected to be a progressive amendment that would move America into a more positive direction History would however show that the Eighteenth Amendment had more negatives than positives and would eventually be repealed by the Twenty First Amendment being the one Amendment in American History to be repealed in its entirety By the mid 19th Century religious groups began the first prohibition movements toward banning alcohol and the drunken behavior associated with it These groups viewed alcohol as a great National Curse and sought to cure the ill society of its effects 19th Century Americans were known to be heavy drinkers and drunkenness had become a major problem as a result Unemployment rates were climbing along with crime rates and these religious groups were quick to hold these intoxicating liquors responsible for all the broken families during this time period
