Civil War
Florida has a long and storied past related to smugglers, filibusters, and blockade runners. During the Civil War, blockade runners flaunted the Union blockade of the South. Some skippers worked for both sides. Throughout the 19th Century, filibusters supplied weapons and supplies to Cuban rebels fighting the Spanish, reaching a fever pitch between 1895 and 1898. During Prohibition, “rum runners” operated with near impunity.
Read more: Destruction of the Steamer...