Prohibition in the United States was an attempt to limit the amount of drinking by making it illegal to manufacture or sell alcoholic beverages. Socially, After World War I the attitude of Americans toward alcohol became negative. They believed that it was harming their society to have people drinking while others were off fighting for their country. Many religious groups saw alcohol consumption as sinful and destructive, so they backed the prohibition movement. With increasing numbers of Americans drinking, the numbers of domestic violence increased as well.   Also, with stopping the production of alcohol there would be a significant increase in supplies of important grains such as barley. The Anti Saloon League and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union were the two main groups that pushed for Prohibition. By January 16, 1919, the Amendment had been ratified by thirty-six of the forty-eight states needed to make it an official law.  On October 28, 1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act, to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment when it went into effect in 1920.