The Whiskey Rebellion

The early days of the United States were an unruly time, as the fledgling government found its footing and its people had to adjust to new laws.

In 1794, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton placed a tax on whiskey to help pay off Revolutionary War debts. This tax was extremely unpopular. At the time, liquor was a mainstay in Scotch-Irish households and sometimes even bartered with in poorer, rural areas.

Two executive proclamations by President George Washington were not enough to convince citizens to pay up. Masked gangs of infuriated whiskey drinkers ran amok in Western Pennsylvania, tarring and feathering tax collectors and hiding stills in the woods.

Eventually, Washington sent commissioners to make peace, followed by military force to quash the rebellion. Very few arrests were made and hardly anyone was hurt. Ultimately, the tax was repealed under President Thomas Jefferson in 1802.