Series 6300
Convention to Ratify the 21st Amendment (1933) Administrative records

Dates: s 1933.

1 microfilm reel and 1 microfiche setSkip to Containers

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Scope and Content

The 72nd Congress of the United States proposed the 21st amendment to the U.S. Constitution, repealing the 18th amendment and once again legalizing the manufacture and use of liquor. On October 10, 1933, Governor Henry H. Blood called for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention for the purpose of ratifying or rejecting the 21st amendment. The election was held on November 7, and the elected delegates met December 5. The amendment became effective with the ratification of 36 states; Utah was the 36th state to ratify. These records document the activities of the convention.

The papers include election certificates, validated by the secretary of state, which list the names and the vote count for the delegates. The agenda covers the order of the proceedings. Committee reports include that of the Committee on Credentials verifying the election of the delegates, a report of the Committee on Resolutions drafting the resolution to ratify the 21st amendment, and the report of the Secretary of the Convention recording the vote on ratification. Drafts of the certificate of ratification are also included.

The proceedings of the convention were documented in a typed, verbatim transcript. The transcript, with some editing, was then published by order of the convention. The proceedings include the call to order; the invocation; election of convention officers; presentation of the proposed amendment; addresses by various men including the president of the convention, Governor Blood, Anthony W. Ivins who had been a member of the 1895 convention framing the Utah constitution, and Delegate Riter who was chairman of the committee on resolutions; the vote on the resolution to ratify the amendment; miscellaneous resolutions and communications; and adjournment.

Newspaper clippings from the Salt Lake Tribune provide advance notice of the convention and coverage of the results, the latter with a photo of the delegates. The final file consists of correspondence received from other states in response to a request by Utah Secretary of State, Milton Welling, for copies of the ratification proceedings in those states. Copies of proceedings, or related materials, are included with the letters from some states.

Arrangement

Files are by document type.

Custody History

Files were held by the Secretary of State's office until transfer to the archives.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.

This series is available online as part of the Utah State Archives Digital Archives.

Access Restrictions

Microfiche holdings require staff assistance due to fewer reference copies. Handle masters under supervision.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Processing Note

Microfiche processed by Rebekkah Shaw under the National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant to the Utah State Archives and Records Services for the Utah Microfiche Backlog Project (Grant No.: NAR10-RB-50086-10). July 2010-December 2011

Indexing Terms

  • Prohibition--Utah.
  • Liquor laws--Utah.
  • Constitutional amendments--Liquor laws--Utah.

Container List

REEL FOLDER DESCRIPTION
1 1 Delegate Election certificates
1 2 Convention agenda and committee reports
1 3 Ratification certificate, working copy
1 4 Proceedings reports
1 5 Newspaper clippings
1 6 Letters from other states re. ratification proceedings
FICHE-SET DATE DESCRIPTION
1 1933 Dec 5 21st Amendment

Page Last Updated October 18, 2012.