Legal Definitions - Volstead Act

The Volstead Act was a federal law enacted in 1919 that served as the primary means to enforce the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which established Prohibition. This act specifically prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages throughout the United States. It remained in effect until 1933, when the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, thereby rendering the Volstead Act void.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of the Volstead Act:

• Imagine a small-town farmer in the 1920s who, struggling financially, decided to set up a hidden still in his barn to produce homemade whiskey. He then sold this "moonshine" to neighbors and local businesses. His actions of creating and distributing alcohol would have been a direct violation of the Volstead Act, which prohibited the manufacture of intoxicating liquors.

• During the Prohibition era, a secret establishment known as a speakeasy operated behind a seemingly legitimate storefront in a bustling city. Patrons would enter through a hidden door, where they could purchase and consume alcoholic drinks. The owner and operators of this speakeasy were engaged in the illegal sale of liquor, an activity strictly forbidden by the Volstead Act.

• A notorious bootlegger in the early 1930s regularly drove a modified car, specially equipped with hidden compartments, to transport cases of imported rum from a coastal drop-off point to various illicit distributors inland. If caught by federal agents, the bootlegger would face severe penalties under the Volstead Act for illegally transporting alcoholic beverages.