Volstead Act

American  

noun

1. an act of Congress, introduced in 1919 by Andrew J. Volstead to implement the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which forbade the sale of alcoholic beverages.

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Example Sentences

But they finally got Al Capone for federal income tax evasion, not for murder, racketeering, or Volstead Act violations, so sometimes you have to pick the clear-cut legal case to put away a career criminal.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2023

To prevent this, the Volstead Act held dominion not only over the land but also encroached on the kingdom of Neptune, prohibiting the consumption of alcohol up to 12 miles out to sea.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2022

Guy Bentley, director of consumer freedom at the Reason Foundation, said on Twitter: “Serious Volstead Act vibes here,” referring to the 1920 law designed to implement Prohibition, which failed to end sales of alcohol.

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2022

And it is no coincidence that that spark, that snowball effect of the Klan spiraled in the wake of the Volstead Act.

From Slate • Dec. 11, 2015

In one of the most bizarre aspects of the Volstead Act, veterinarians were also permitted to write out prescriptions for their four-legged patients.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler