The United Repeal Council promoted repeal of National Prohibition in the U.S. It was an advisory group of leaders of several important groups promoting Repeal.

• • Crusaders.
  • Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform.
  • Association Against the Prohibition Amendment.
  • American Hotel Association.
  • Voluntary Committee of Lawyers.

    United Repeal Council

The United Repeal Council was formed early in 1931. It was to lobby for Repeal planks at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions.

The Council selected Pierre du Pont as its chair. It probably represented 2,500,000 people. Its long-range strategy was to promote the election of politicians who supported Repeal.

In hindsight, no long-range plans were needed. The failure of Prohibition and the serious problems it created soon led 74% of American voters to reject it.  Repeal occurred in 1933.

Prohibition was a great failure. More important, it created many very serious problems.

Yet today, almost one of every five adults in the U.S. favors making drinking illegal. Tens of millions more support neo-prohibitionism. That’s why so many relics of Prohibition remain even now. They include Blue laws. These prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays.

Web

• • Repeal of Prohibition in the U.S.
  • 21st Amendment.   
  • Repeal Groups.
  • Leaders  of Repeal.    
  • Repeal Timeline.
  • Repeal Trivia

Readings

• • Blocker, J. Did Prohibition Really Work? Am J Pub Health.
  • Burnham, J. New perspectives on the prohibition “experiment” of the 1920’s. J Soc Hist, 2(1), 51-68.
  • Did Prohibition Reduce Drinking?  Priceonomics.
  • Dorr, L. Why Prohibition Failed.
  • Just Think Twice. DEA site. Asserted that “Prohibition did work.” Response by J. Sullum in Prohibition Was Not an Awful Flop.
  • Miron, J., and Zwiebel, J.  Alcohol Consumption During Prohibition.
  • Moore, M. Actually, Prohibition Was a Success.
  • Powers, E., and Wilson, J. Access denied. The relationship between alcohol prohibition and driving under the influence. Soc Inq, 74(3), 318-37.
  • Prohibition: Not Repeatable, But Not a Failure.
  • Sabet, K. Prohibition’s real lessons for drug policy. Despite the ‘failure’ of Prohibition, there’s little reason to believe that the benefits of drug legalization would outweigh its costs. Los Angeles Times.
  • Tyrrell, I. The US Prohibition experiment: myths, history and implications. Addict., 92, 1405-9.
  • Yes, Prohibition worked – In terms of reducing alcohol consumption.
  • Wickersham Commission, Benefits of Prohibition. Ch. VII. Report on the Enforcement of the Prohibition Laws, 1931.

Archival

• • Gillett, R., and Holmes, J. Repeal of the Prohibition Amendment, 1923.
  • Intoxicating Liquors. State Prohibition after Repeal of the 18th Amendment, 1933.
  • Patch, B. Preparations for Prohibition Repeal, 1933.
  • Pollard, J. The Road to Repeal, 1932.
  • Shouse, J. The Status of Prohibition Repeal, 1933.
  • Prohibition: United Repeal Council. Time, Jan 20, 1932.
  • ____. Prohibition: 142 words. Time, July 11, 1932. (Reported activities of the  Council.)
  • ____.  Prohibition: United Wets. Time,  Nov 7, 1932.