Rum-running

Rum-running, or bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting (smuggling) alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. Smuggling usually takes place to circumvent taxation or prohibition laws within a particular jurisdiction. The term rum-running is more commonly applied to smuggling over water; bootlegging is applied to smuggling over land.

History

The term "rum-running" most likely originated at the start of Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933), when ships from Bimini in the western Bahamas transported cheap Caribbean rum to Florida speakeasies. But rum's cheapness made it a low-profit item for the rum-runners, and they soon moved on to smuggling Canadian whisky, French champagne, and English gin to major cities like New York City and Boston, where prices ran high. It was said that some ships carried $200,000 in contraband in a single run.

Prohibition in the United States

Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. It lasted from 1920 to 1933 and was mandated by the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The goal of Prohibition was to reduce crime, corruption, and social problems associated with alcohol. However, it led to the opposite effect, with an increase in illegal activities such as rum-running.

See also

• Bootlegging
• Prohibition in the United States
• Speakeasy
• Smuggling

References

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Rum-running

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