the whiskey rebellion
In the year 1794, a while after the Articles of Confederation had been replaced by the Constitution, another rebellion broke out. Farmers in the backcountry of Pennsylvania were angry about a new excise tax on whiskey, which many farmers made and sold with their excess grain. The situation worsened when writs were sent to be distributed to all those who had not paid the excise. A mob of furious townspeople marched on the tax collector’s home, threatening to barge inside and destroy the writs. He opened fire into the crowd, killing a popular leader. (1) Soon after this, town militias began to quickly mobilize, preparing to fight against the tax. The conflict escalated, and soon, the federal government looked to get involved. They sent a peace commission to the rebels, followed by a federalized army. (2) However, the rebels returned home before the arrival of the army, effectively ending the insurrection.
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(1) Garry Wills, A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999), 194.
(2) ibid, 195.
(3) Whiskey Rebellion, photograph, accessed April 29, 2014, http://www.ttb.gov/images/image007.jpg.
(2) ibid, 195.
(3) Whiskey Rebellion, photograph, accessed April 29, 2014, http://www.ttb.gov/images/image007.jpg.