Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Rum trade 1920-33

[Anatol]

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is a French possession occupying a low-lying archipelago of eight islands (the largest being Saint-Pierre, Miquelon, and Langlade) off the eastern coast of North America, south of Newfoundland. The islands were discovered in 1520 by Portuguese explorers. In 1604, the archipelago began to be settled by French settlers. Until 1816, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon was the object of a dispute between France and Great Britain. In 1946, the archipelago became an overseas territory of France, in 1976 an overseas department, and in 1985 a special territorial unit of France. There is evidence of prehistoric settlement of the islands by indigenous people. European settlements on the islands are among the oldest in the Americas, dating back to at least the early 1500s. Initially, Basque fishermen visited the islands only seasonally during the fishing season, but by the mid-1600s, permanent French residents had settled on the islands. Fishing has always been the backbone of the economy of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Following the signing of the Franco-Canadian Agreement on the Delimitation of Economic Zones in the Northwest Atlantic in 1989, fishermen on Saint-Pierre and Miquelon were forced to cease large-scale industrial fishing in 1992. After the late 1800s, the fishery declined.
Currently, fishing in the archipelago's coastal zone is limited.
Before Prohibition, Saint-Pierre was a peaceful fishing village experiencing economic decline. The island served as a home port for many ships arriving from Saint-Malo or the Basque Country to fish cod in the shallows off Newfoundland during the season. It was dangerous, grueling work, and many sailors died in the process. The passage of the Volstead Act in 1920, which prohibited alcohol consumption in the United States, transformed life on the island and profoundly impacted the livelihoods of its residents. All the island's residents switched to the liquor trade, and only a few continued to work in the fishing industry. They became dockworkers, warehouse workers, and shippers, among other occupations. The island experienced a brief 13-year economic boom during Prohibition in the United States, when Miquelon and Saint-Pierre became major hubs for alcohol smuggling.
Smugglers quickly converted local boats and speedboats into "rum fleets." Initially, the "rum fleet" consisted of a motley fleet of fishing boats, speedboats, and small merchant vessels. As Prohibition wore on, the profits from smuggling grew, and the smugglers' vessels became larger and more specialized. The converted fishing boats were soon joined by small motorized cargo vessels, custom-built in Nova Scotia for rum transport, with low gray hulls, hidden compartments, and powerful radio equipment. Specialized high-speed vessels were built for ship-to-shore service. These high-speed boats were often luxury yachts and speedboats, equipped with powerful aircraft engines, machine guns, and armored plating. Smugglers often kept cans of used motor oil on hand to pour into hot exhaust manifolds in case a smoke screen was needed. Smugglers were confronted by patrol boats, harbor boats, and coastal patrols. Most patrol boats were 75-footers with a top speed of about 15 knots. The Coast Guard also had 25 destroyers transferred from the Navy, but these were slow and had a deep draft.
Rum-running vessels were decidedly faster and more maneuverable. A rum-running captain could earn several hundred thousand dollars a year, while a Coast Guard commandant earned only $6,000 a year, and sailors earned $30 a week. Such enormous profits from smuggling led rum-running vessels to take great risks, sailing without lights at night, in fog, risking life and limb. Their vessels often sank after hitting a sandbar or reef in the dark at high speed. The Coast Guard worked hard, conducting intelligence and increasing its weaponry to combat smuggling. Its budget more than doubled, and the service acquired a modern electronic intelligence service that tracked, located, and decrypted smugglers' radio activity. Rum-running ships were often sold at auction shortly after trial—often back to their original owners. Some ships were intercepted three or four times before they were recovered. But the Coast Guard had other duties, and often had to release smugglers to help a sinking vessel or deal with other emergencies. This boom ended with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and the economy plunged into depression.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2025; (1.96e + 1.96e). Fishermen and smugglers. Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2025; (2.10e = 2.10e). Rum runners.
Sourses: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootlegging;
https://spiritsselection.com/en/the-cru ... n-history/.