ratified on january 17, 1919 and went into effect a year later, the eighteenth amendment (amendment xviii) of the united states constitution banned the making, transporting, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the united states. the volstead act was passed by congress to enforce the eighteenth amendment. it did not prohibit the drinking of alcohol however. it started the period in american history called the prohibition era. this was a period of mass civil disobedience to the law. those who could afford the higher prices of smuggled liquor went to illegal bars called speakeasies. working class people tended to drink moonshine and so-called bathtub gin at home. the eighteenth amendment proved to be a major failure. americans started drinking more than before and it caused crime to rise significantly. the eighteenth amendment was later repealed by the twenty-first amendment. it remains the only amendment to be repealed by another amendment to the constitution.