ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Blockade runners of the American Civil War

During the American Civil War, there were these big ships called blockaders, and they sailed around the coast of the Confederacy (the part of the United States that wanted to separate from the rest of the country) to stop other ships from bringing in supplies like food, weapons, and medicine.

But some brave people called blockade runners would sneak past the blockaders in smaller, faster ships. They would have to be really clever to avoid getting caught, like using the cover of darkness to hide their ships or painting them to look like something else.

The blockade runners also had to be really fast, because if the blockaders spotted them, they could chase after them and try to shoot them with cannons. Some blockade runners even had secret compartments to hide supplies, and they would have to be careful not to get caught by other ships once they made it past the blockaders.

Sometimes the blockade runners were successful and were able to deliver much-needed supplies to the Confederacy, which helped them in the war. But other times, they would get caught, and their ships and supplies would be taken away.

Overall, the blockade runners were very brave and risky people who helped the Confederacy during the war, but they had to be very careful and sneaky to get past the blockaders.