The reapportionment of Congress in 1910 had given the dry, rural states more power in the government. By 1917, when the United States entered World War I, patriotism had spread and many people opposed the use of grain and sugar for alcohol when it was needed for food during wartime. (Bernstein 173) Congress had passed a statute in 1917 prohibiting the public sale of alcohol as a result of the War. (Lawson 13).
From 1913 to 1919, there had been 39 attempted resolutions regarding Prohibition. On December 18, 1919, Amendment 18 was proposed. After 13 months, it was finally ratified by 36 states. It went into effect on January 16, 1920. (Bernstein 174) On October 28, 1919, the Volstead Act was passed. It provided for the enforcement of Amendment 18, and was written by Wayne B. Wheeler and sponsored in Congress by a member of the Republican party, Andrew Volstead, of Minnesota. (Lawson 13).
The consumption of alcohol did not decrease during the years of Prohibition. Annual per capita consumption had been decreasing steadily before Prohibition and reached an all time low during the 1921 depression. From 1922 to 1929, the rate increased greatly and reached pre-Prohibition levels. Beer was so bulky and hard to conceal, that the consumption of beer decreased during Prohibition, but stronger forms of alcohol, such as spirits, were produced and consumed in much greater quantities. Illegal manufacturers were producing dangerous, more powerful forms of certain alcoholic beverages, such as fortified wine and "White Mule Whiskey". Prohibition products were estimated to be 150 percent more potent than pre-Prohibition products. (Thornton) .
The bootlegging business was huge during Prohibition. Illegal goods were smuggled in from Canada and Mexico. Other products came from Cuba and the Bahamas. Once the liquor reached the mainland, trucks hauled it inland. The recent development of trucks and automobiles made this type of smuggling possible.
