In the 1800s, temperance societies, mostly instigated by churches, had emerged as a force in the United States. The societies lobbied politicians for total abstinence of alcohol. There was partial success in Maine and the other group of states that followed suit. Alcohol production for consumption had stopped during the war, as all industrial alcohol production was destined for the war effort.
During that time, the prohibitionists had found an ally in a Republican Congressman, Joseph Andrew Volstead from Minnesota. He sponsored the 18th Amendment of the US Constitution, which forbade the production-sale-consumption of beverage alcohol except for medicinal purposes. When two -thirds of the states gave their assent, the amendment took effect on January 16, 1920. It became known as the Volstead Act. In spite of the politicians, many Americans were not planning on remaining 'dry' and were against Prohibition. Export warehouses along the Canadian border were immediately in a position to supply American buyers. These warehouses had had a year to prepare for this moment.
Initially there were few inspections at border points. There were many backroads that could be used by rumrunners to deliver their liquor cargoes from Canada or the United Sates. Rumrunners also looked for opportunities to bring alcoholic beverages into the United States by sea. They found offshore bases where they could purchase products and bring int the US territorial limits. These were the Bahamas, Bermuda, Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Belize. There they could purchase a variety of products. Vessels of the rumrunning fleet would then bring it to the US territorial limits. The illegal liquor would usually be transferred to fast shore boats that would take it ashore.
