In 1791 a rebellion began in Pittsburgh when a group of disguised farmers snatched a federal tax collector from his bed, and marched him five miles to a blacksmith shop where they stripped him of his clothes, and burned him with a poker. Over the next 3 years, many tax collectors were beaten, shot at, tarred and feathered. They even burned one tax collector's house to the ground. By 1794, the excise taxes went largely uncollect
ed, and the national debt was rising. With respect for the federal authority waning, Rebel forces had swelled to 5,000. So in October of 1794, President Washington sent 15,000 troops to quell the resistance. Led by Alexander Hamilton, Washington's secretary of state, the federal troops met little opposition. Within a month, most of the rebels had dispersed, disavowed their cause, or left the state. More than 150 people were arrested for being suspect of criminal activity.
In his 6th annual address, President George Washington made these remarks in response to the 'Whiskey Rebellion'.
"Thus the painful alternative could not be discarded. I ordered the militia to march, after once more admonishing the insurgents in my proclamation of the 25th of September last. It was a task too difficult to ascertain with precision the lowest degree of force competent to the quelling of the insurrection. From a respect, indeed, to economy and the ease of my fellow citizens belonging to the militia, it would have gratified me to accomplish such an estimate. My very reluctance to ascribe too much importance to the opposition, had its extent been accurately seen, would have been a decided inducement to the smallest efficient numbers. In this uncertainty, therefore, I put into motion 15K men, as being an army which, according to all human calculation, would be prompt and adequate in every view, and might, perhaps, by rendering resistance desperate, prevent the effusion of blood. Quotas had been assigned to the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, the governor of Pennsylvania having declared on this occasion an opinion which justified a requisition to the other States."
http://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/247897.html
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washs06.asp #USHIstory
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Whiskey_Rebellion.aspx
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your site.
Dennis,
Quick question: Can a reader sort the material by date? (Not when you posted it, but chronologically)
The sidebar is useful, but a timeslide of US history might be useful.
Readers might also be interested to know more about your background. Are you an educator?
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the feedback. I wish I knew how to sort it by year, I'll look into it. As far as my background. My daytime job is in Information Technology. Learning U.S. history was a hobby of mine, that lately has become a night job :)
ReplyDeleteI had a Uncle 7th generations ago, who own land 1782, in Hamshire County, Seneca Creek.
ReplyDeleteHe was the husband of Susanne Margaret Teter April 1784, daughter of Geroge Teter 1730-1798 that served in the militia, Whiskey Rebellion under Capt. Willian Gragg. About 1800, John became a Methodist Minister.