Whiskey Rebellion facts for kids

Washington leads his troops to western Pennsylvania (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellion against the Federal government of the United States. Some farmers in Western Pennsylvania rebelled against the United States federal government in 1794. They believed that a new tax on whisky was not fair. Selling whiskey was how people traded things in Western Pennsylvania, but farmers elsewhere did not need to sell whiskey.

The United States had borrowed a large amount of money for the American Revolutionary War, and Alexander Hamilton offered the idea to try to pay the war debt. The government under George Washington, with advice from Alexander Hamilton, quickly stopped the rebellion. Washington and Hamilton wanted to ensure that no one would question the power of the federal government, so President Washington himself led almost 13,000 troops to stop the rebellion of a few hundred farmers. The rebels went home before the army arrived. The new government became more solid, and the President more powerful. Numerous examples of resistance are recorded in court documents and newspaper accounts.

So far, this is the only time in American history that a President has led the Army by himself.

Images for kids

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  Alexander Hamilton in a 1792 portrait by John Trumbull

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  "Famous Whiskey Insurrection in Pennsylvania", an 1880 illustration of a tarred and feathered tax collector being made to ride the rail

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  In his 1796 book, Congressman William Findley argued that Alexander Hamilton had deliberately provoked the Whiskey Rebellion.

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  Portrait of Hugh Henry Brackenridge, a western opponent of the whiskey tax who tried to prevent violent resistance

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  Photo of Albert Gallatin, who spoke publicly to rebel groups about the need for moderation

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  The James Miller House on the Oliver Miller Homestead located in South Park Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1794, the first fired gunshots of the Whiskey Rebellion occurred on the property when revenue officers served a writ on William Miller. Shots were fired but the officers were not injured. Later, William was pardoned.

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  Susanna Rowson

See also

In Spanish: Rebelión del whiskey para niños