Rum Running

Rum Running. Bimini Islands of The Bahamas. , In 1919 the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Volstead Act introduced Prohibition in the United States, outlawing the manufacture and use of alcoholic beverages. Bimini and other islands of The Bahamas benefited by serving as way stations for the smuggling of alcoholic beverages into the United States. Also, bars, called speakeasies, were established on the islands so thirsty Americans could come and enjoy Bahamian hospitality. , Illegal smuggling between the islands and the U.S. mainland resulted in an increase in the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard patrolling the waters between The Bahamas and the U.S. Warehouse was established on boats in the harbor as well as on the island of Bimini for the storage of illegal alcohol. Many Bimini men with their boats were used as laborers in the transfer of the illegal substance., The passage of the Twenty-first Amendment and the Blaine Act in 1933 ended the Prohibition era. There was an immediate effect in the downturn of Bimini's economy., [Captions:] , Liquor aboard a "mother ship." Smaller boats would pull alongside to transfer the cargo., Liquor was stockpiled on the grounds of the Bimini Bay Rod and Gun Club prior to being shipped to the U.S.