Final answer:
The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1919, led to the period of U.S. history known as Prohibition, which outlawed alcohol manufacturing, transportation, and sales. The era saw both a push for social reform and a rise in illegal alcohol-related activities, ending with the repeal by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage of the 18th Amendment initiated a period in U.S. history known as Prohibition. This amendment, ratified in 1919, prohibited the manufacture, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors in an effort to curb the negative societal impacts associated with alcohol consumption. However, Prohibition also led to unintended consequences such as the rise of organized crime, bootlegging, and the creation of a black market for alcohol, which ultimately culminated in its repeal by the 21st Amendment in 1933.
Prohibition reflected a cultural battle between progressive reformers and the forces of modernization, as temperance movements linked alcohol with societal ills. They advocated for a ban on alcohol to promote morality and social welfare. Their success was aided by factors such as anti-German sentiment during World War I and the availability of income taxes to replace the lost revenue from alcohol taxes. Despite these noble intentions, the difficulties in enforcing the new laws led to widespread disregard for the ban, eventually resulting in its repeal.