On view October 27, 2005 - April 10, 2006 at the Woodrow Wilson House, where the 28th President lived after leaving office in 1921 until his death in 1924. This exhibition tells the story of Wilson’s veto and the ratification of the 18th Amendment, and features items from many local private collections, including a prohibition-era still and an animated comedy about Prohibition from 1919.

The exhibition will examine the campaign to pass the 18th Amendment which reached its peak during Wilson’s administration, Prohibition’s failure and the aftermath. Although often assumed that because Prohibition began in Wilson’s administration that he supported it, in fact, Wilson supported temperance, not total prohibition and he had vetoed the infamous Volstead Act. This exhibition will show that after Prohibition’s demise both marketing and packaging of alcohol in Washington changed. By considering the same social problems – such as unruly saloons – that had lead to Prohibition, the result was closer to the message of moderation that President Wilson had advocated.

His veto over-ridden, Wilson expected the radical solution offered by Prohibition to fail. Speakeasies began to open immediately and home brewing flourished in the capital city. Prohibition was a failure in Washington as in every other large city in the country. Locally, Virginia made an honest attempt to enforce the law. However, Maryland remained firmly in the “wet” camp and made little effort at enforcement. The Chesapeake Bay’s proximity to Washington made smuggling alcohol relatively easy.

Of interest to anyone thirsty for knowledge about Prohibition, the brewing industry or early 20th century Washington, D.C., this exhibition raises the bar for displays by historic house museums.