The Repeal of Prohibition

On December 5, 1933, the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution ended what had been called America’s “noble experiment.”   The experiment was Prohibition – a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.  The ban had been in place for nearly 14 years.

Prohibition had become the law of the land in 1920, when the 18^th Amendment took effect.  Its supporters hoped that banning alcoholic drinks would make American society better.  But that didn’t happen.   From the start, the ban proved impossible to enforce.  People made their own alcoholic drinks – “bathtub gin” – and visited illegal bars called speakeasies. 

Smugglers and gangsters, such as Chicago’s Al Capone, made fortunes selling bootleg (illegal) liquor and beer.  Crime, corruption, and alcoholism increased. 

Prohibition divided the nation.  “Drys” supported it, and “wets” opposed it.  But in 1933, most Americans realized that the ban was probably doing more harm than good.   Congress passed the 21^st Amendment, and Prohibition ended in December when Utah became the 36^th state to ratify it.

Some American counties and towns are “dry” today.  They have local laws forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages.

The Duchess of Windsor

On December 11, 1936, the people of Great Britain were stunned by an announcement from their popular, 42-year-old king, Edward VIII. He was giving up his throne because he could not live without “the woman I love.”

Edward was referring to Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American who had moved to England with her second husband. There, in 1930, she met Edward, who was then the Prince of Wales. They fell in love, and she obtained a divorce. When Edward’s father, King George V, died in January, 1936, Edward became king. In Great Britain, the monarch is also the head of the Church of England, which at the time didn’t sanction divorce. There was no way for ward to remain king and marry Mrs. Simpson. So he decided to abdicate (relinquish the throne voluntarily).

Given the title Duke of Windsor by his successor, his brother King George VI, Edward married Mrs. Simpson in 1937. Barred from living in England, they resided in France. The duchess became known as an elegant hostess and one of the world’s best-dressed women. The couple traveled extensively attending social events around the world.

The duke died in 1972, and the duchess in 1986. Although they were sometimes criticized for their lavish lifestyle, their romance is regarded as one of history’s greatest love stories.

In February, 1998, more than 40,000 of the Windsor’s belongings were sold at auction by Sotheby’s.