In January 1791, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton suggested a new excise tax, which is a tax on goods made and sold inside the country. This tax was placed on whiskey. Congress did not expect how strongly people on the western frontier of Pennsylvania would reject it. By 1794, their protests had grown into the Whiskey Rebellion, which threatened the stability of the young United States. To show the strength of the new government, President George Washington personally led soldiers west to stop the rebellion.
Secretary Hamilton intended to use the tax to reduce the debt left from the Revolution. News of the tax spread, and individuals in Western Pennsylvania immediately refused to pay it. Residents viewed this tax as another unfair policy that negatively affected American citizens on the frontier.
Western farmers felt the tax was an abuse of federal authority targeting farmers who relied on crops such as corn, rye, and grain to earn a profit. Shipping this harvest east was dangerous because of poor storage and dangerous roads. Farmers frequently distilled their grain into liquor, which was easier to ship and preserve. While large-scale farmers could easily pay the additional tax, poor farmers were unable to do so without falling into debt.
In 1792, President Washington issued a proclamation reprimanding westerners for their resistance. By 1794 the protests became violent. In July, nearly 400 whiskey rebels near Pittsburgh set fire to the home of the regional tax collection supervisor. Washington had no choice but to organize a militia force of 12,950 men and led them towards Western Pennsylvania.
The use of the militia essentially ended the Whiskey Rebellion. By the time the militia reached Pittsburgh, the rebels had dispersed and could not be found. The militia apprehended approximately 150 men and tried them for treason. A lack of evidence and inability to obtain witnesses hampered the trials. By 1802, then President Thomas Jefferson repealed the excise tax on whiskey. Under the eye of President Washington, the United States survived the first true challenge to federal authority.
Secretary Hamilton intended to use the tax to reduce the debt left from the Revolution. News of the tax spread, and individuals in Western Pennsylvania immediately refused to pay it. Residents viewed this tax as another unfair policy that negatively affected American citizens on the frontier.
Western farmers felt the tax was an abuse of federal authority targeting farmers who relied on crops such as corn, rye, and grain to earn a profit. Shipping this harvest east was dangerous because of poor storage and dangerous roads. Farmers frequently distilled their grain into liquor, which was easier to ship and preserve. While large-scale farmers could easily pay the additional tax, poor farmers were unable to do so without falling into debt.
In 1792, President Washington issued a proclamation reprimanding westerners for their resistance. By 1794 the protests became violent. In July, nearly 400 whiskey rebels near Pittsburgh set fire to the home of the regional tax collection supervisor. Washington had no choice but to organize a militia force of 12,950 men and led them towards Western Pennsylvania.
The use of the militia essentially ended the Whiskey Rebellion. By the time the militia reached Pittsburgh, the rebels had dispersed and could not be found. The militia apprehended approximately 150 men and tried them for treason. A lack of evidence and inability to obtain witnesses hampered the trials. By 1802, then President Thomas Jefferson repealed the excise tax on whiskey. Under the eye of President Washington, the United States survived the first true challenge to federal authority.