3. Prohibition: The Bootlegger’s Golden Age
With the ratification of the 18th Amendment in 1920, the United States plunged into Prohibition, igniting the golden age of bootlegging. Demand for illegal alcohol soared, and Southern moonshiners became legendary figures, viewed by many as folk heroes thumbing their noses at unpopular laws. While urban gangsters like Al Capone dominated city headlines, rural bootleggers quietly supplied speakeasies and communities with homemade whiskey. The era cemented the moonshiner’s place in American lore, blending danger, ingenuity, and a rebellious spirit.
