Prohibition: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

Since the early years of the American Republic, alcohol has been embedded in the fabric of American culture. But by 1830, alcohol abuse wreaks havoc on the lives of many families. The temperance campaign ignites, spearheaded by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In 1917 the 18th Amendment sails through both Houses of Congress; it is ratified by the states in just 13 months. But Americans are about to discover that making Prohibition the law of the land has been one thing; enforcing it will be another.

In 1920, Prohibition goes into effect, making it illegal to manufacture, transport or sell intoxicating liquor. As weaknesses in the law and its enforcement become clear, millions find ways to exploit it. Alcoholism still exists, and may even be increasing, as women begin to drink in the speakeasies that replace the male-only saloon. Despite the growing discontent with Prohibition, few politicians dare to speak out against the law, fearful of its powerful protector, the Anti-Saloon League.

Support for Prohibition diminishes in the mid-1920s; the law has given savvy gangsters a way to make huge profits, wreaking havoc in cities across the country. By the late 1920s many American women believe that the "Noble Experiment" has failed. After the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, Congress easily passes the 21st Amendment, which repeals the 18th, and the states quickly ratify it. In December of 1933, Americans can legally buy a drink for the first time in 13 years.