Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution

Amendment XXI (the Twenty-first Amendment) of the United States Constitution ended Prohibition. It states, in pertinent part:

Section 1.

The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2.

The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

This has been interpreted to give states essentially absolute control over grain alcohol, and many U.S. states remained "dry" (state prohibition of alcohol) long after its ratification. Most states now delegate this authority to their cities and counties, which has led to many lawsuits over First Amendment rights when they have tried to revoke liquor licenses of nude dancing and other similar establishments.

External links


20th Amendment Amendments
United States Constitution
22nd Amendment