Fun Fact #8: Rhode Island is the only U.S. state to not ratify the 18th Amendment (Prohibition)
Thomas Tew Rum, named after the Newport, Rhode Island pirate
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages within the U.S. and its territories, including the import/export thereof (though contrary to popular belief, it did not prohibit the purchase or consumption of alcohol).
It was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917 and ratified on January 16, 1919. Both Rhode Island and Connecticut would reject this amendment (though Connecticut did eventually ratify it on May 16, 1919 after it had already been added to the Constitution).
Rhode Island however never ratified the 18th Amendment. With its 400 miles of open coastline, rum running was a thriving industry for its residents. Furthermore, Rhode Island’s large Catholic population composed mostly of Irish and Italian immigrants viewed the 18th Amendment as a WASP (white Anglo-Saxon Protestant) initiative to impose their values on them.
Sources: The Society of Wine Educators; TruTV.com; SUNY Potsdam
