Prohibition started in the US in early 1920's, it put a nationwide ban on the sale and comsumption of alchohol and in some states even agasint the possesion of it!
This is when 'boot legging/ rum-running' became known, which was the illegal transportation of alchohol into the major cities. The smuggling of rum from the Carribean was first popular until the boot leggers realised they were not profiting enough from it and then began smuggling more expensive alchohols, such as French Champagnes and English Gins.
These glorious types of drinks were consumed in secretive locations, underneath homes and businesses in which people would congregate and listen to live musicians/acts, these were known as 'Speak easies'.
This is one of the reasons many believed Prohibition failed, due to the increased activity in crimes and gang related issues. However for the 13 years the law was in place it did cut down on recorded alchohol related deaths by nearly half!
It was inevitable that this law was never going to stay in place forever and one of the reasons as to why it had never been continued was when several congressmen and political figures were sold out to the papers by a young boot legger claiming that he had sold them numerous amounts of alchohol, in which they consumed themselves, going against their own laws!
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