The Volstead Act

The Volstead Act was passed by Congress on October 28, 1919, to provide for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment, more popularly known as the Prohibition Amendment. Among other things, the Volstead Act created a special law enforcement unit of the Treasury Department, known as the Bureau of Prohibition.

The Volstead Act is named after Andrew John Volstead, a United States Congressman of Norwegian descent, who left the U.S. House of Representatives to assume the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee and was therefore responsible for the National Prohibition Act, which became better known as the 18th Amendment.

Volstead was reportedly known for having a "broom of a mustache so luxuriantly thick it reached his lower lip" and for wearing a tie even while he gardened.