Final answer:
The Eighteenth Amendment aimed to outlaw the manufacture and sale of alcohol but faced difficulty in enforcement, leading to organized crime. It was influenced by wartime economics and moralistic movements but eventually was repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in January 1919, prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. Enforcement of the amendment led to challenges. The subsequent Volstead Act aimed to provide an enforcement mechanism but resulted in an increase in illegal activities such as bootlegging and speakeasies. Despite the intent to conserve grain during wartime and enforce moral standards, the amendment faced severe backlash due to its intrusion into personal liberties and the difficulty in enforcement, supplying organized crime with a lucrative new industry.
The passage of the Eighteenth Amendment was influenced by World War I rationing and anti-German sentiment, as many breweries were German-owned. Non-enforcement and widespread disregard for Prohibition laws, as well as the rise of criminal activity, demonstrated the difficulties in legislating morality. Thus, it was evident by the rise of organized crime and public discontent that the attempt to establish a dry nation was failing. The reversal of Prohibition came with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ended the national Prohibition.