The Whiskey Insurrection

The new imposed upon farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania occurred when the U. S. Government under President George Washington imposed a whiskey tax . From 1791 to 1794, tax collectors were confronted with angry farmers and distillers.

The debt which had occurred during the Revolutionary War caused concern for Secretary Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist. Hamilton, throughout his term, had taken an aggressive stance for government control. The new excise tax would serve to lessen the country’s financial troubles. There was opposition to the tax, but Congress passed the…