Claim Citation Readiness
Claim Count
2
Claim Fact-Check Status
Claims
Date Precision
Exact day
Destination URL
Display Date
January 16, 1919
End Sort Year
1919
Era
Prohibition and Repeal
Event ID
74
Evidence Confidence
Strong
Featured?
Geography
United States
Historical Significance
Completed the constitutional ratification threshold while leaving a one-year delay before the amendment became operative.
Last Reviewed
September 2, 2026
Publication Status
Published
Record Type
Event
Research Notes
Keep ratification distinct from federal certification on January 29, 1919 and legal enforcement beginning January 17, 1920.
Scope
American Whiskey Core
Start Sort Year
1919
Summary
Nebraska supplied the thirty-sixth state ratification required for the Eighteenth Amendment on January 16, 1919.
Thematic Lanes
Law and TaxationCulture and Consumption
Timeline Date
January 16, 1919
Evidence anchor
National Archives constitutional-amendment chronology, cross-checked against the Library of Congress guide.
Drafting guardrail
Do not call January 16, 1919 the beginning of enforcement.