The constitutional legacy of Prohibition

We the People

National Constitution Center

History, News Commentary, News

4.6 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2017

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Historians Lisa Andersen and Josh Zeitz explore the history and politics of Prohibition, including its impact on federal power and civil liberties. American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition is now open at the National Constitution Center through July 16. Learn more at constitutioncenter.org. Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly. Please subscribe to We the People and our companion podcast, Live at America’s Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. We the People is a member of Slate’s Panoply network. Check out the full roster of podcasts at Panoply.fm. Despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast. Visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome to We
0:08.3	the People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.
0:11.8	The National Constitution Center is the only institution in America, chartered by Congress,
0:17.4	to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan-partisan basis.
0:23.0	And this week we explore the history and politics of prohibition.
0:27.0	On March 2nd, the Constitution Center celebrated the opening of a new feature exhibit.
0:32.0	American spirits, the Rise and Fall of Prohibition, which
0:36.0	tells the fascinating constitutional story of the passage of the 18th Amendment and its
0:40.5	repeal just over a decade later by the 21st Amendment.
0:44.2	As part of our great opening party,
0:46.3	the historians Lisa Anderson and Josh Zeitz
0:49.6	join me in the beautifully renovated Sydney Kimmel Theater
0:53.7	to discuss this fascinating period of constitutional history
0:56.7	as well as its constitutional legacy.
0:59.4	So let's get started. us jump right into it, Lisa. Water?
1:14.0	Okay, well pretend it's 19, so you must have water.
1:17.6	Okay, so it's only appropriate.
1:19.6	You don't know that there's actually water in here.
1:21.6	It's true. It's true. Consider there's actually water in here. It might be.
1:22.6	It's true.
1:23.6	Consider that as a possibility.
1:25.0	It is.
	...

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