Rum-running facts for kids
- This article is about moving alcoholic drinks when it's against the rules. For the computer term, see Copyright infringement of software.
Rum-running and bootlegging are terms for secretly moving alcoholic drinks when it's not allowed. People did this to avoid paying taxes or to get around laws that stopped the sale of alcohol, like during the Prohibition Era in the United States.
What is Rum-Running?
Rum-running usually means secretly moving alcoholic drinks by water. The name likely started during the Prohibition era in the United States. During this time, ships sailed from Bimini in the Bahamas. They carried cheap rum to Florida to be sold secretly.
However, there wasn't much money to be made from cheap rum. So, rum-runners soon started bringing more expensive drinks. These included Canadian whisky, French champagne, and English gin. They took these to big cities like New York City and Boston. This made them a lot of money. Some ships were said to carry drinks worth $200,000 in just one trip!
What is Bootlegging?
Bootlegging usually means secretly moving alcoholic drinks over land. The word "bootlegging" might have started during the American Civil War. Soldiers would hide bottles of liquor in their boots or under their trouser legs to sneak them into army camps.
Images for kids
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A liquor raid in 1925, in Elk Lake, Ontario
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Rum-runner William S. McCoy, who operated from 1900 to 1920
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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca
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CG-100, a typical 75-foot patrol boat
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Rum-runner Linwood set afire to destroy evidence
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Pacific Coast offshore rum-runner Malahat, a five-masted schooner
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