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WhoseSideAreYouOn?HowTheWhiskeyRebellionChallengedThePoweroftheNewCentralGovernment.

Instructions: Usethebackgroundessayandprimarysourcedocumentstodeterminewhichsideyouthinkisright.DoyousupporttheFederalGovernment’srighttocollecttaxesandkeeporder?Ordoyousupporttherightsofthepeopletoprotestunjustlawsandtaxes?Useevidencefromthedocumentstodecide:

Whosesideareyouon?

BackgroundEssay:Whosesideareyouon?HowTheWhiskeyRebellionChallengedThePower

oftheNewCentralGovernment. NearlytwentyyearsaftertherevolutionaryWarbegan,theUnitedStatesgovernmentfacedasmall-scalerevolutionbysomeofitsowncitizens.Asinthepreviouswar,taxeswereacentralissue.AndAlexanderHamiltonunderstoodthatputtingdownthisrebellionwascriticaltothelifeofthenation. Inordertocreateaself-supportingandeffectivegovernment,TreasurySecretaryHamiltonknewheneededtofindasteadysourceofrevenue.HeproposedanexcisetaxonwhiskeyproducedintheUnitedStates,andCongressinstitutedthelevyin1791.Ingeneral,thecitizensofthattimefeltnegativelytowardtheideaoftaxation.ThefarmersofwesternPennsylvania,manyofwhomdistilledwhiskeyandprofitedfromitssale,provedoutrighthostiletotheidea. InJulyof1794,aforceofdisaffectedwhiskeyrebelsattackedanddestroyedthehomeofataxinspector.Therebelliongrewinnumbers,ifnotinactions,andthreatenedtospreadtootherstates.HamiltonknewthatthepresenceofalargeandpotentiallyhostileforceinPennsylvaniacouldnotbetolerated.Ifthegovernmentweretosurvive,itwouldhavetoshowitselfcapableofkeepingcontrol. Hamiltonadvocatedtheuseofmilitaryforce;PresidentGeorgeWashingtoninsteadputstatemilitiasonthereadyandsentinnegotiators.Whentalksprovedfruitless,WashingtonacquiescedtoHamilton'sview.Aforceof13,000militiatroops,ledbyHamiltonandVirginiagovernorHenryLee,marchedintowesternPennsylvania. Bythetimethefederalforcearrived,therebellionhadcollapsedandmostoftherebelshadfled.TwomenwereconvictedoftreasonandlaterpardonedbyWashington.AlexanderHamiltonwaselated.Thefledglingfederalgovernmenthadprovenitcouldkeeporder,anecessityiftheU.S.wastoavoidinstability.Butmany,inparticularThomasJefferson,thoughtthatthisresorttomilitaryforcewasadangerousmistake.ItconvincedthemthatHamiltonwasadangerousman.Vocabulary:excisetax–taxedpaidwhengoodsarepurchased,oftenincludedintheprice.

whiskey-distilledalcoholicbeveragemadefromfermentedgrainmash.

levy–imposeataxorfee.

distilled–purifyaliquidbyheatingandvaporizing,thencooling,condensing,and

collectingtheresultingliquid.

DocumentA-GeorgeWashingtonGeorgeWashington’slettertoAlexanderHamilton,July29,1792 “Thepublicdebtisgreaterthanwecanpossiblypaybeforeothercausesofaddingnewdebttoitwilloccur...thisaccumulationofdebthastakenforeveroutofourpowerthoseeasysourcesofrevenue...extraordinarycallsforextraordinaryoccasionswouldanimatethepeopletomeetthem.”ModernTranslation:Theamountofmoneythenationalgovernmentowesisgreaterthanitcanpossiblypay.Wehaveothergovernmentexpensesthatwilladdtothedebt.Theamountofdebtowedissolargethatthenationalgovernmentdoesnothavetheabilitytoraisethemoney.TheWhiskeyTaxismorethanthegovernmentwouldusuallyaskfor,butwemustraisetheWhiskeyTax.FromhisProclamationoftheWhiskeyRebellion,August9,1794 “Andwhereas,itisinmyjudgmentnecessaryunderthecircumstancesofthecasetotakemeasuresforcallingforththemilitiainordertosuppressthecombinationsaforesaid,andtocausethelawstobedulyexecuted;andIhaveaccordinglydeterminedsotodo,feelingthedeepestregretfortheoccasion,butwithalthemostsolemnconvictionthattheessentialinterestsoftheUniondemandit,thattheveryexistenceofgovernmentandthefundamentalprinciplesofsocialorderaremateriallyinvolvedintheissue,andthatthepatriotismandfirmnessofallgoodcitizensareseriouslycalledupon,asoccasionsmayrequire,toaidintheeffectualsuppressionofsofatalaspirit; Therefore,andinpursuanceoftheprovisoaboverecited,I.GeorgeWashington,PresidentoftheUnitedStates,doherebycommandallpersons,beinginsurgents,asaforesaid,andallotherswhomitmayconcern,onorbeforethe1stdayofSeptembernexttodisperseandretirepeaceablytotheirrespectiveabodes.AndIdomoreoverwarnallpersonswhomsoeveragainstaiding,abetting,orcomfortingtheperpetratorsoftheaforesaidtreasonableacts;anddorequireallofficersandothercitizens,accordingtotheirrespectivedutiesandthelawsoftheland,toexerttheirutmostendeavorstopreventandsuppresssuchdangerousproceedings.”ModernTranslation:Duetothefactthatthecitizensareinopenrebellionagainstthegovernment,IregrettosaythatIconsideritnecessarytoputdownthisrebellion.TheinterestofthenationandtheneedforsocialorderisatriskifIdonotstopthisuprising.ThereforeIorderallpeoplewhoareinvolvedinthisactoftreasontostopandreturntotheirhomesbySeptember1st.Ifurtherorderallotherswhoarehelpingtherebelstostop.Allmilitaryofficersandothercitizensshouldfollowthelawanddotheirbesttoputdownanyactsofrebellion.

DocumentB–AlexanderHamilton AlexanderHamilton,Tully,No.3,August28,1794Theinstrumentbywhichit[government]mustactareeithertheauthorityofthelawsorforce.Ifthefirstbedestroyed,thelastmustbesubstituted;andwherethisbecomestheordinaryinstrumentofgovernmentthereisanendtoliberty!ModernTranslation:Agovernmentgetsitspowerthrougheitherstronglawsorbyusingforceagainstitscitizens.Ifthelawsareweakandpowercannotbeheldthroughthelaw,thenthegovernmentmustuseforce.Whenforceisusedonaregularbasis,libertyisended.AlexanderHamilton,speechtotheNewYorkRatifyingConvention,June,1788“ThelocalinterestofaStateoughtineverycasetogivewaytotheinterestsoftheUnion.Forwhenasacrificeofoneortheotherisnecessary,theformerbecomesonlyanapparent,partialinterest,andshouldyield,ontheprinciplethatthesmallergoodoughtnevertoopposethegreatergood.“Moderntranslation:States’rightsandinterestsshouldalwaysbelessimportantthantherightsandinterestsoftheentirenation.Whenthereisadisagreementoverwhetherstates’interestsorthenationalinterestismoreimportant,thenationalinterestshouldalwayswin.Thisisbecausethestateisjustasmallerpartofthewholenation.

DocumentC–HermanHusband FromapamphlettohisfellowbackcountryresidentsofNorthCarolina,1769“HasnottheChargesofGovernmentbeenunnecessarilyraised,tothegreatEncreaseofthePublickTax?HasnotthePublickMoneybeenintrustedinHandsofinsufficientPersons,withoutsufficientSecurities,ordueCaretakeninaccountingfor,andrecoveringthesame?HasnotthisoftenreducedustothedisagreeableNecessityofcontributingorpayingbyTaxtheSumonceraised—butthroughCarelessnessorNeglect,orsomethingworse,uselesslyconsumed?Towhatdoththistend?isnottheIssuemanifestlytheImpoverishmentoftheCountry?—fatalConsequences.TheExorbitant,nottosayunlawfulFees,requiredandassumedbyOfficers,————theunnecessary,nottosaydestructiveAbridgementofaCourt’sJurisdiction,—theenormousEncreaseoftheprovincialTaxunnecessary;theseareEvilsofwhichnoPersoncanbeinsensible,andwhichTdoubtnothasbeenlamentedbyeachofyou.ItmusthaveobligedyoutoexaminefromwhatQuarterReliefmightbefoundagainstthesesadCalamities————InvainwillyousearchforaRemedyuntilyoufindouttheDisease.”Moderntranslation:Hasn’tthegovernmentraisedtaxeswithoutregardforpayingitback?Hasn’tthegovernmentusedthemoneycarelessly?Hasn’tthisforcedcitizenstopayevenmoretaxes?Ifthiscontinues,thecountrywillbecomepoorandmayevenceasetoexist.Thisincreaseintaxesisevilandmostofyouareprobablyangryandupsetaboutthis.Mostofyouwillwanttofindsomewaytostopthisproblem.

DocumentD–HughHenryBrackenridge

FromthePennsylvaniaGazette(HughHenryBrackenridgewastheeditorofthenewspaper)“Internaltaxesuponconsumption[are]mostdangeroustothecivilrightsoffreedmenandmustintheenddestroythelibertiesofeverycountryinwhichtheyareintroduced.”Moderntranslation:Taxesonfoodanddrinkaredangeroustopeople’scivilrights.Suchtaxeswillendupdestroyingthelibertiesofthepeopleinanycountrythattriesthem.

DocumentE–ThomasJefferson“Butwithrespecttofuturedebt;woulditnotbewiseandjustforthatnationtodeclareintheconstitutiontheyareformingthatneitherthelegislature,northenationitselfcanvalidlycontractmoredebt,thantheymaypaywithintheirownage,orwithinthetermof19years.“

ThomasJefferson,September6,1789Moderntranslation:Peoplewhoarewritingthelaws(Constitution)foranewnationshouldnotallowthatnationtoowemoremoneythantheycanpaybackwithintheirlifetimesorwithinatimeof19years.FromalettertoEdwardCarrington“Cherish,therefore,thespiritofourpeople,andkeepalivetheirattention.Donotbetoosevereupontheirerrors,butreclaimthembyenlighteningthem.Ifoncetheybecomeinattentivetothepublicaffairs,youandI,andCongress,andAssemblies,Judges,andGovernors,shallallbecomewolves.”

ThomasJefferson,January16,1787Moderntranslation:Payattentiontothecommonpeopleandtheirneeds.Donotjudgethemtooharshlyiftheymakemistakesbutgentlyremindthemoftheirdutiesascitizens.Ifwe,thepowerfulpeopleinourcountry,forgetthecommonpeoplethenwewillbelikewolves.

DocumentF–UnitedStatesCongressof1794

USCongress,MessageinregardstotheWhiskeyRebellion,1794“TheGovernorhavingreceivedinformationthatadaringandcrueloutragehasbeencommittedinthecountyofAlleghenybyalawlessbodyofarmedmen,who,amongotherenormities,attackedanddestroyedthehouseofGen.Nevilleonthe17thinstant,request,inthemostearnestmanner,thatyouwillexertallyourinfluenceandauthoritytosuppress,withinyourjurisdiction,soperniciousandunwarrantableaspirit;thatyouwillascertain,withallpossibledispatch,thecircumstancesoftheoffence;andthatyouwillpursue,withtheutmostvigilance,helawfulstepsforbringingtheoffenderstojustice.EveryhonestCitizenmustfeelhimselfpersonallymortifiedattheconductoftherioters,which,particularifitpasseswithimpunity,iscalculatedtofixanindeliblestigmaonthehonorandreputationofthestate....”Moderntranslation:Thegovernor(ofPennsylvania)receivedinformationthatalargenumberofarmedmenhaveattackedanddestroyedthehouseofGeneralNeville,amilitaryofficer.Sincethisisanunlawfulandterribleact,heasksthatwedowhateverisnecessarytobringthesementojustice.Allhonestmenshouldbeembarrassedandashamedbytheactionsofthesemen.Thenationshouldbeashamedifnothingisdoneaboutthissituation.