Whiskey Rebellion facts for kids

Washington leads his troops to western Pennsylvania (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Whiskey Rebellion was a riot in the history of the United States. In 1794.. some farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against the government because of a tax on whiskey. Selling whiskey was how people traded things in Western Pennsylvania, so they thought the new tax was very unfair. Alexander Hamilton offered the idea to try and make up for the young country's debt from the war. The government under George Washington, with advice from Alexander Hamilton, quickly stopped the rebellion. Washington and Hamilton wanted to ensure that no one would question the power of the federal government, so they sent almost 13,000 troops to stop the rebellion of a few hundred farmers, led by President Washington himself. That made the new government more solid, and the President more powerful.

So far, this is the only time in American history that a President has led the Army by himself.

Images for kids

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  Alexander Hamilton in a 1792 portrait by John Trumbull

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  "Famous Whiskey Insurrection in Pennsylvania", an 1880 illustration of a tarred and feathered tax collector being made to ride the rail

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  In his 1796 book, Congressman William Findley argued that Alexander Hamilton had deliberately provoked the Whiskey Rebellion.

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  Portrait of Hugh Henry Brackenridge, a western opponent of the whiskey tax who tried to prevent violent resistance

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  Photo of Albert Gallatin, who spoke publicly to rebel groups about the need for moderation

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  The James Miller House on the Oliver Miller Homestead located in South Park Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1794, the first fired gunshots of the Whiskey Rebellion occurred on the property when revenue officers served a writ on William Miller. Shots were fired but the officers were not injured. Later, William was pardoned.