Which amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages?

Which amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages?

• A. 18th Amendment
• B. Prohibition
• C. 19th Amendment
• D. 21st Amendment

Answer: (A)

This item tests understanding of which constitutional change started the nationwide ban on making, selling, and distributing alcohol. The correct idea is that the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of intoxicating liquors in the United States, marking the start of Prohibition. It was ratified in 1919 as part of that era. Prohibition itself refers to the policy and period, not a specific amendment, so it isn’t the right label for the formal change. The 19th Amendment, ratified later, granted women the right to vote and isn’t related to alcohol. The 21st Amendment later repealed the 18th, ending Prohibition; that would answer a different question about how the ban ended rather than how it began.

This item tests understanding of which constitutional change started the nationwide ban on making, selling, and distributing alcohol. The correct idea is that the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of intoxicating liquors in the United States, marking the start of Prohibition. It was ratified in 1919 as part of that era. Prohibition itself refers to the policy and period, not a specific amendment, so it isn’t the right label for the formal change. The 19th Amendment, ratified later, granted women the right to vote and isn’t related to alcohol. The 21st Amendment later repealed the 18th, ending Prohibition; that would answer a different question about how the ban ended rather than how it began.