Final answer:
The Eighteenth Amendment was the law that prohibited the sale, consumption, and distribution of alcohol in the United States, and was later repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amendment that prohibited the sale, consumption, and distribution of alcohol in the United States was the Eighteenth Amendment. This amendment was ratified in 1919 and became effective in 1920, marking the start of a period in U.S. history known as Prohibition. The purview of the Eighteenth Amendment encompassed the ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors but did not extend to the actual consumption of alcohol. Despite the intention to preserve societal morals and grains during World War I, the enforcement proved challenging and led to widespread illegal activities associated with alcohol. This problematic period in American history came to an end with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, which repealed Prohibition.