By 1933, with the nation in the Great Depression, revenue needed by governments across the country, and the public tiring of Prohibition as they thought it had gone too far and encouraged lawlessness. With the mighty power of the Anti-Saloon League diminished and its head Wayne Wheeler six years dead, Congress acted upon the result of a Constitutional convention that had proposed the ending of Prohibition.

In the Senate, the end of Prohibition passed with a bipartisan majority on February 16th. This was a 63-23 vote, with Republicans voting 29 for and 14 against while Democrats voted 33 for and 9 against, with the Farmer-Labor senator voting for. The senators from Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming all backed repeal. The senators from Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma all opposed. A notable vote against its end was the Prohibition Amendment’s father, Morris Sheppard of Texas. Another notable vote against was Phillips Goldsborough of Maryland, who was badly out of sync with his wet state. Although a courageous vote given the state’s preference, he would lose reelection in 1934.

In the House, the end of Prohibition passed with a bipartisan majority on February 20th, being a 289-121 vote, with Democrats voting 179 for and 32 against, Republicans voting 109 for and 89 against, and a Farmer-Labor representative voting for. Most of the Democratic opposition came from the South and there was a significant urban-rural divide on this matter. States that completely opposed Prohibition’s end in the House were Idaho, Kansas and Maine while states that completely supported its end were Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wyoming. As the year 2023 closes and 2024 begins, bear in mind that it was ninety years ago in which Congress said that you could again legally purchase alcohol. The votes, detailed with DW-Nominate scores, are linked below: