On August 11, 1794 the President of the United States of America, George Washington, made a proclamation that addressed the protest against the Whiskey Tax. This proclamation not only addressed the farmers in the western counties of Pennsylvania who were protesting the excise tax on whiskey, but also rallied Washington’s supporters to ally with him in hope of aiding his army to stop those who were rebelling. The Whiskey Rebellion was first proposed by Alexander Hamilton with hopes of helping the nation recover from its debt resulting from the Revolutionary War. Due to the Whiskey Tax, President Washington was forced to address the nation when a rebellion upraised from Western Pennsylvania farmers who were producing the whiskey, and were now
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Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, knew the nation needed to find a new, and steady, source of revenue in order to recover from the debt of the Revolutionary War. Hamilton then proposed an excise tax on whiskey produced in the United States. (American Experience, 1) The farmers of western Pennsylvania, began rebelling the Whiskey Tax to show their resistance against the government’s decision to tax the distilled whiskey they produced, and often profited from its sale. Hamilton, supported increased federal authority and intended to use the excise tax to lessen this financial burden. Despite resistance from Anti-Federalists like Thomas Jefferson, Congress passed the new law to put a tax on whiskey (American Experience, 1). When the news of the whiskey tax spread to Western Pennsylvania citizens, those who disagreed with the tax immediately voiced their willingness to be taxed this way by simply refusing to pay the tax. People viewed this tax an instance of unfair regulations put into action by the eastern elite that negatively impacted citizens in the frontier region (Additional PDF, 1). A line was clearly drawn between the western and eastern …show more content…
The Whiskey Rebellion essentially occurred because passing of Hamilton’s proposal to tax whiskey by the House and the Senate. When Hamilton proposed that whiskey be taxed it was in effort to recover from the debt that stemmed from the Revolutionary War (American Experience, 1). Farmers in Pennsylvania were angered when they learned of the tax being imposed on their products, they rioted and Washington ended the rebellion by leading his troops to bring peace back to the nation. As Washington stated in his proclamation, “Provided always, that, whenever it may be necessary in the judgment of the President to use the military force…command such insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within a limited time” (Washington, 2). Proving, once again, the importance of this proclamation. As it is stated in his duty as President of the United States of America, Washington, had the right to proclaim that rebellion of the law would not be tolerated by anyone. Washington also saw that it was necessary to bring peace back to the nation and show the nation that he was not just a president who would sit behind a desk and give orders, but he would always be on the front line with his troops not for himself but for the betterment of the United States of
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, knew the nation needed to find a new, and steady, source of revenue in order to recover from the debt of the Revolutionary War. Hamilton then proposed an excise tax on whiskey produced in the United States. (American Experience, 1) The farmers of western Pennsylvania, began rebelling the Whiskey Tax to show their resistance against the government’s decision to tax the distilled whiskey they produced, and often profited from its sale. Hamilton, supported increased federal authority and intended to use the excise tax to lessen this financial burden. Despite resistance from Anti-Federalists like Thomas Jefferson, Congress passed the new law to put a tax on whiskey (American Experience, 1). When the news of the whiskey tax spread to Western Pennsylvania citizens, those who disagreed with the tax immediately voiced their willingness to be taxed this way by simply refusing to pay the tax. People viewed this tax an instance of unfair regulations put into action by the eastern elite that negatively impacted citizens in the frontier region (Additional PDF, 1). A line was clearly drawn between the western and eastern …show more content…
The Whiskey Rebellion essentially occurred because passing of Hamilton’s proposal to tax whiskey by the House and the Senate. When Hamilton proposed that whiskey be taxed it was in effort to recover from the debt that stemmed from the Revolutionary War (American Experience, 1). Farmers in Pennsylvania were angered when they learned of the tax being imposed on their products, they rioted and Washington ended the rebellion by leading his troops to bring peace back to the nation. As Washington stated in his proclamation, “Provided always, that, whenever it may be necessary in the judgment of the President to use the military force…command such insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within a limited time” (Washington, 2). Proving, once again, the importance of this proclamation. As it is stated in his duty as President of the United States of America, Washington, had the right to proclaim that rebellion of the law would not be tolerated by anyone. Washington also saw that it was necessary to bring peace back to the nation and show the nation that he was not just a president who would sit behind a desk and give orders, but he would always be on the front line with his troops not for himself but for the betterment of the United States of