Final answer:
The repeal of the 18th Amendment was driven by the practical failure of Prohibition to enforce alcohol bans, the resulting rise in organized crime, and the change in public opinion towards the law as an overreach into personal freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 18th Amendment, which instituted Prohibition, was ultimately repealed due to its failure to enforce the ban on alcohol effectively, the rise of organized crime, and a shift in public opinion. Initially thought to preserve grain during wartime and improve social morals, support for Prohibition faded as it led to unintended consequences like bootlegging, speakeasies, and disregard for the law.
State laws had been ineffective, and even the Volstead Act, which was to enforce the amendment, could not stem the tide of illegal activity. The public began to see the law as an intrusion into personal freedoms and were disillusioned by the increased crime and corruption associated with the attempt to legislate morality.
As a result, by 1933, with the impact of Prohibition evident in increased violence and corruption, and a change in public sentiment, the 21st Amendment was passed, repealing Prohibition. This change reflected America's acknowledgment that the attempt to prohibit alcohol outright was more detrimental than beneficial to society.