America

Whiskey Rebellion
Historical Significance
The Whiskey Rebellion was one of the first actions taken to get the United States out of the
debt shortly after the Revolution. It was set by Alexander Hamilton who convinced congress to
pass a tax on distilled beverages. His intention was to help build up the power of the new
federal government as well as bringing down the national debt. A lot of farmers detested this
tax, because the way it turned out was that it would affect the smaller whisker distributors than
the bigger ones. Thus, a sort of rebellion came out of it against the government.
The reason it demonstrated the strength of the new constitution because it was the first time
that the U.S had to use military force to express its authority over the citizens. I believe it was
also the first time that the president had actually commanded the military in the field as well. It
helped set a precedent that you could disagree with the government as long as it wasn't
harmful- it was dangerous, the government would meet its attacks.