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Amendment 18: National Prohibition

The first page of the United States Constitution
The first page of the United States Constitution. National Archives · Public domain. Illustrative image.

AP Gov / Amendment guides

AMENDMENT 18 · RATIFIED 1919 · LATER AMENDMENTS

Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed.

Knowing the number helps. Next, try explaining what the amendment changes, where its limits are, and what else you need to know.

The amendment in plain English

The main rule: Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed.

A detail worth knowing: The text prohibited manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation for beverage purposes, with the ban taking effect one year after ratification.

Watch the limit: It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment. Do not describe it as the current nationwide alcohol rule.

How it connects

This pair shows that constitutional amendments can change earlier amendments.

The Eighteenth established Prohibition; the Twenty-first repealed it and also addressed transportation or importation into states in violation of their laws.

Compare Amendment 21 →

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Practice test: Amendment 18

Try the six questions before opening the explanations. The examples are made up for practice. These are our questions, not official exam questions. Blank answers count as not yet correct. Your choices and score stay in this open page and are not sent or saved.

Not checked yet. Choose your answers, then check the reasoning.

1. What is a central rule of Amendment 18?

Main rule

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B. Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed.

Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed. Read the actual wording before applying it to a new situation.

2. Which detail belongs with Amendment 18?

Text and details

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C. The text prohibited manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation for beverage purposes, with the ban taking effect one year after ratification.

The text prohibited manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation for beverage purposes, with the ban taking effect one year after ratification.

3. A historical law enforces national Prohibition before its repeal. Which amendment established that constitutional policy?

Apply it

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D. Amendment 18

Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed. Identifying a relevant provision starts the analysis; it does not guarantee an outcome.

4. Which statement should you challenge as an overstatement?

Spot the mistake

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A. The Eighteenth Amendment remains the current constitutional rule banning alcohol nationwide.

It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment. Do not describe it as the current nationwide alcohol rule.

5. How should you compare Amendments 18 and 21?

Make a comparison

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B. The Eighteenth established Prohibition; the Twenty-first repealed it and also addressed transportation or importation into states in violation of their laws.

The Eighteenth established Prohibition; the Twenty-first repealed it and also addressed transportation or importation into states in violation of their laws.

6. Before reaching a conclusion in a new scenario, which question is most useful here?

Explain the reasoning

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C. Is the question asking about the historical rule or the law after repeal?

It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment. Do not describe it as the current nationwide alcohol rule. The right next question helps you avoid making the rule broader than it is.

Written practice: explain it your way

Try these three parts in your own words. This is a study exercise, not an official AP question or scoring guide.

  1. Explain the amendment’s rule in your own words. Name the part of government, right, or process it addresses.
  2. Apply it to the fictional scenario above. Identify one fact that makes the amendment relevant.
  3. Compare it with the linked amendment and explain a limit that could change the analysis.
Open the three-point self-check
  1. Accurately explain: Established national Prohibition of specified activities involving intoxicating liquor for beverage purposes; it was later repealed.
  2. Connect a fact to the rule, rather than just naming the amendment. Ask: Is the question asking about the historical rule or the law after repeal?
  3. Explain the distinction: The Eighteenth established Prohibition; the Twenty-first repealed it and also addressed transportation or importation into states in violation of their laws. Include the limit: It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment. Do not describe it as the current nationwide alcohol rule.

One point per explained idea is a revision tool, not an AP score prediction.

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Original, AI-assisted student study material. Sources checked October 30, 2026. Educational information, not legal advice. AP is a trademark of College Board, which does not endorse this project. This library covers all 27 amendments; it is not a claim that each amendment has equal AP exam emphasis.