Bootlegging and

Moonshining
Allyn Skelton, Noah Swadener, Zachary Hunt

Prohibition in America

Consumption of alcohol fell at the

beginning of Prohibition, and
subsequently increased.
Alcohol became dangerous to
consume, and crime became more
organized.
Removed a significant source of tax
revenue and greatly increased
government spending.
Led many drinkers to switch to
opium, marijuana, cocaine, and
other substances.

Fig. 1. Per Capita Consumption of

Alcoholic Beverages. (Cato.org)

Modern Illegality

Even after the repeal of prohibition, demand was high for

bootleggers because of the need for fast transportation and
talented drivers.
Many moonshiners didnt go legitimate because of excise
taxes. The US government takes $2.14 per 750 ml of 80
proof alcohol.
In 2005, police busted a store that sold enough raw
materials for moonshiners to make 1.4 million gallons of
liquor, about $19.6 million in lost tax revenue.

Modern Prohibition

Alcohol is illegal for Muslims in

the Middle East, but
moonshine has flourished on
the underground.
Tarra has killed and blinded
many people, just like in the
American prohibition.

Fig. 2. Steamrolling Liquor. (WashingtonPost.

com)

Traditional Still
Construction
Location

Fig. 3. Moonshine Still (Moonshine Still Featured Images.)

Stills That get Busted

Signs of stills
Smoke
Smell
Location

Fig. 4 Moonshiners Bust ("Moonshine - Blue Ridge Style Building the Moonshiner Industry.")

Making it

Fig. 5 Distilling Apparatus ("How to Build a Still Vodka Distiller.")

Making it
Simplest style of still
Pot
The Worm AKA
a Condenser
Collector
Fig. 6 Simple Still ("Distilling Basics.")

Mash Common Ingredients

Corn
Water
Yeast

Fig. 7 Mash Fermentation ("Fermenting Mash in 250 Gallon Barrels.")

Bootlegging Loads
Milk Jugs
Mason Jars
Barrels

Fig. 8 Moonshine Bust ("ABC Agents Make Moonshine Bust in Pittsylvania Co.")

Bootlegging Transport
Creative

Vehicles
Time of

Transport
Fig. 9 Bootlegging Lumber Truck ("Lumber Truck with Hidden
Moonshine Compartment.")

Bootlegging Cars
Trunk Space
Engine

Efficiency
Wheelbase

Fig. 10 Bootlegging Car ("Fast Cars & Mason Jars Moonshine Festival 2013.")

Bootlegging vs. Racing

Many cars and drivers ran
whisky during the week and
raced on the weekends in
Charlotte and Atlanta.
New driving techniques were
invented to escape authorities,
and were later used in racing.

The Forming of a Society

Dec. 1947
N.A.S.C.A.R.

Fig. 11. 1948 NASCAR Race ("A Timeline of NASCAR | NASCAR.com.")

Safety Improvements

1940s - Crash helmets

1950s - Roll bars
1960s - Roll cage
Today - Fire retardant
suits, five point safety
harnesses, on board
fire extinguishers, etc.
Fig. 12. Roll cage. (MacsMotorCityGarage.
com)

The Last American Hero

Began bootlegging
moonshine at age 14
His evasive abilities became
legendary
Eventually was caught
bootlegging in 1956, well
after his racing career took
off
Fig. 13 Junior Johnson
(MotorSportsUnplugged.com)

The Family
Moonshiners and Bootleggers were men
Fathers
Sons
Brothers

Attitude makes all the difference

Love it = family unity through law breaking and lying
Hate it = problems between everyone

Family and the Unity

Sharing experiences and common interest brings
people closer
Some people enjoyed what they did
-Millie Opitz (a teenager at the time) brewed with her family
-Pig White brought a lot of money to the family

Alcohol brings people together

Claudia Reinhardt and Bill Ganzel. Prohibition of Alcohol. Farming in The 1930s Ganzel Group. Web.

Family Trouble
Some did not approve of the work
Pig Whites daughter did not like it
-Afraid for her fathers life
-Afraid for her life
Spawn Report

Men got locked up and put away after a bust

Family Trouble Continues

Tension grew over time between the
supporters
Extremist groups started to form
Families were getting torn apart
-People getting caught
-Differences not being settled
-Extremist groups
Abstract Politics

Good or Bad Change?

Flappers
-Young
-Nearly every article of clothing was trimmed down and
lightened in order to make movement easier.
-Changing their image

New Technologies
-Automobile
-Movies
-Radio

PBS, by, Zeitung

Busted
Speakeasies were big targets
-Also called blind pig or blind tiger
-Illegally sell alcohol

Stills where moonshine was made

Bootleggers

Speakeasy and Moonshine

David Shankbone

www.tngov

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFfdATEKgi4

Works Cited
"A Timeline of NASCAR | NASCAR.com." A Timeline of NASCAR. nascar.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
"ABC Agents Make Moonshine Bust in Pittsylvania Co." - WSET.com. wset.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
"Distilling Basics." Instructables.com. instructables.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
"Fast Cars & Mason Jars Moonshine Festival 2013." cabinsofthesmokymountains.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
"Fermenting Mash in 250 Gallon Barrels." -. moonshineheritage.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
Khan, Haq Nawaz, and Michele Langevine Leiby. "Despite Islamic Prohibition, Moonshine
Flourishes in Unlikely Areas of Pakistan." Washington Post 31 Aug. 2012. Infotrac
Newsstand. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
"Lumber Truck with Hidden Moonshine Compartment." Stash Vault. stashvault.com. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Mitchelson, Ronald L., and Derek H. Alderman. "Mapping NASCAR Valley: Charlotte as a Knowledge Community."
asdfaaSoutheastern Geographer 51.1 (2011): 31-48. ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

Works Cited
"Moonshine - Blue Ridge Style - Building the Moonshiner Industry." Moonshine - Blue Ridge Style - Building the
Moonshiner Industry. blueridgeinstitute.org. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Moonshine Still Featured Images. fineartamerica.com. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Thomas, Edwin. "How to Build a Still Vodka Distiller." EHow. Demand Media, 2 Oct. 2009. ehow.com.
Web. 11 Apr. 2015
Thornton, Mark. "Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure." Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure. Cato Institute, 17 July 1991. Web.
14 Apr. 2015..
Vance, Bill. "A Daring, Bootlegging Racing Legend." National Post: DT11. Oct 19
2007. ProQuest. Web. 17 Mar. 2015 .

Any Questions?