Final answer:
A speakeasy was an illicit establishment selling alcoholic beverages outside the limits of 'dry' towns, particularly during the Prohibition era. These clandestine saloons often offered entertainment and social networking alongside the alcohol they served.
Step-by-step explanation:
A speakeasy was a bar or saloon, often found outside the limits of "dry" towns. During the Prohibition era, these clandestine saloons thrived as underground establishments that illicitly sold alcoholic beverages. They were an integral part of a subculture that included illegal importers, smuggling, and organized crime related to liquor. Speakeasies were hidden venues that offered more than just alcohol; they often provided entertainment, social networking, and political discussion, becoming cultural spaces that were especially important to various subcommunities in both rural and urban America.