Critical federal funds have been eliminated for public media. Your donation today keeps us strong.

DONATE NOW

We are currently experiencing a disruption of our service to our World and Create Channels. We are actively working to restore functionality. Thank you for your patience!

Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app:
RMPBS+
go back to Shows
Prohibition show's poster

Prohibition

PROHIBITION tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the entire era it encompassed. Prohibition was intended to protect all Americans from the devastating effects of alcohol abuse. But, paradoxically, the enshrining of a faith-driven moral code in the Constitution caused millions of Americans to rethink their definition of morality.

Latest episode

RMPBS Passport

Please log in to your PBS Passport account to watch this video

Become a Member

A Nation of Hypocrites

Season 1 Episode 3 | 106m 36s | CC

Gangsters make huge profits and wreak havoc in cities across the country. By the late 1920s, many Americans believe that Prohibition has failed. After the election of FDR in 1932, Prohibition is repealed

Episodes

Funding is provided by Bank of America; PBS; CPB; The National Endowment for the Humanities; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; members of the Better Angels Society, including the Montrone Family through The Penates Foundation; and Park Foundation, Inc.

Related stories

History
'Nobody remembers history': A Colorado reenactor on telling the complete story of the West
Perez is a cowboy who has staged reenactments for four decades. Wild West shows of this kind date back more than 150 years, but Perez said his work has taken on more significance recently.
 | Ziyi Xu
History
No water, no power, just history: The untouched world of Ute Mountain Tribal Park
Located beside Mesa Verde National Park, the Tribal Park spans about 125,000 acres — more than twice the size of its neighbor.
 | Ziyi Xu
History
Sewing together the stories of Colorado’s Japanese American history
This comprehensive Colorado Japanese Women’s Quilt Project collects the quilts of over 80 Japanese-American families in Colorado.
 | Chase McCleary