The Whiskey Rebellion: 1791-1794
Whiskey, Insurrection and Intrigue
The Law Meets the Frontier
1. Pittsburgh and the Western Frontier
a. Whiskey central to Frontier Life
b. Consumption, barter, sale
c. Pittsburgh: producer of world-famous "Old Monongahela Rye"
2. Eastern Pennsylvania vs Western Pennsylvania
a. West: suppression of American Indians and opening of
Mississippi
b. East: East-West trade and unity of country
3. Whiskey Tax:
a. First Excise Tax-1791
b. Levied on production of whiskey
c. Favored large distillers
4. Opposition in Western Pennsylvania;
a. No cash to pay tax
b. Discriminates against small distillers
c. Ideological opposition
5. First Pittsburgh Public Assembly -1791
a. Denunciation of tax
b. Complaints beyond taxes: salaries of federal officials, interest on
federal debt, favoritism towards financial speculators, invasion
of privacy/potential abuse in collecting tax
c. Lawyers leading players:
1. David Bradford: Leader of radical faction
2. Hugh Henry Breckinridge: Moderate
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6. Physical Confrontation with tax collectors
a. Benjamin Wells
b. Tar & Feathering
c. Physical attacks on persons and homes of tax collectors and
those who supported tax
7. Second Pittsburgh Assembly: 1792
a. John Canon chaired
b. Controlled by radicals
c. Tax collectors "unworthy of our friendship..." Supporters to be
treated as outcasts
8. Washington and Hamilton: "...every legal and necessary step..." to be
used to collect tax
a. Washington's connection to Western Pennsylvania
b. Hamilton: Federal government supremacy
9. 1793: More activism. Fed Government silent
a. John Neville: Burned in effigy
b. Benjamin Wells: Washington offers reward
c. Washington & Hamilton distracted 1793: Yellow Fever/World
War between France at war with Britain, Spain & Holland
10. Hamilton and Washington lay down gauntlet:
a. "...suits shall be brought and seizures made...." Pittsburgh
Gazette- Jan. 4, 1794
b. Subpoenas issued
11. Pot brought to boil
a. Service of subpoenas
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b. Fight at Bower Hill-Neville's House
c. Braddock's Field: David Bradford and 7000 Whiskey Boys
12. Peace Commissions and Mustering of Army
a. Peace Commission sent West
b. Commission demands loyalty vote
c. Washington and Hamilton mustering Army back East
12. Army marches West
a. Army staging area in Carlisle and New Cumberland, MD
b. Washington reviews troops Carlisle, marches to Bedford
c. Meets with Western PA representatives in Bedford. Refuses to
stop March West unless "unequivocal proofs of absolute
submission". Happily reports "...they are scared...."
d. Army turned over to General "Light Horse Harry" Lee. Hamilton
is civilian head.
e. Army lives off land pursuant to authority from Hamilton.
Drunken, rowdy, undisciplined-makes enemies as it moves West.
f. Arrives in Pittsburgh
13. Terrible “Nite”
a. Working from list-150 men arrested
b. Bradford escapes to New Orleans
c. Breckinridge interrogated by Hamilton for two days
d. 20 men selected
14. Indictments and Trials
15. Aftermath
a. Wigle
b. Washington
c. Hamilton
d. Jefferson
e. Whiskey Tax: Prohibition
f. Frick/Mellon-Whiskey Legacy
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