After the American Revolution,the liquor trade spread farther west.Wherever traders went,alcohol followed.Federal officials became alarmed at the continuing prospect of Indian drinking,so they enacted the Trade and Intercourse Act of 1802,which granted the president the authority to halt the sale of alcohol to Indians.Although various federal and state officials,including Thomas Jefferson,wanted to stop the flow of alcohol into Indian country,they were unable to end the business.As in the colonial period,the economics of the trade proved overwhelming to government officials.Since the profits to be made on alcohol were often greater than those that could be made on other commodities,especially since traders watered down their alcohol so they had more to sell, traders were willing to face any legal risks to sustain the commerce.Missionaries, too, often failed in their efforts to stop drinking in indigenous communities.- Kit:Combobulated by Creative Victorian Design