ipl-logo

Causes And Effects Of The Whiskey Rebellion

631 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Comparing the articles of confederation and constitution

The Whiskey Rebellion was caused by a new federal tax on liquor that was levied by Alexander Hamilton in 1791. The farmers were outraged by the tax was because liquor was their most profitable commodity since Americans drank very much of it very often. In the area west of the Appalachian Mountains, liquor made from grain and fruit was the primary cash commodity. Due to a combination of these facts, farmers throughout the backcountry resisted the taxes. By the summer of 1794, a full out rebellion broke out in western Pennsylvania which resulted in the death of many federal officers who were trying to arrest warrants. A major effect of the rebellion was how President George Washington handled it, which was by issuing a proclamation which ordered the insurgents home and requesting 12,900 troops from different states. …show more content…

The rebellion also lead to somewhat of a victory for the farmers, as the tax was repealed years later. Like the Whiskey Rebellion, Shay's Rebellion was also an outcome of unfair taxes. New state taxes were very high because war debts had to be payed off, but farmers weren’t able to afford the taxes. Unlike the Whiskey Tax, these taxes were from the state government and not the federal government and since this rebellion took place in 1787, the Articles of Confederation were still in place. Because of this, a Revolutionary War veteran named Daniel Shay led around 1,200 farmers to an arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts. As a response to this rebellion, the state government sent 4,400 militia men to stop the uprising. However, the federal government was not able to help since the Articles of Confederation were so weak. This rebellion led to conversations regarding the Articles of Confederation and, like the Whiskey Rebellion, the elimination of some of the

Show More
Related
270 Words | 2 Pages

Last night on February 4, 1787, General Benjamin Lincoln attacked members of the Shays’ Rebellion, and successfully captured 150 of the rebels. As a result, Daniel Shays left Massachusetts and fled to Vermont. Shays Rebellion was an armed rebellion consisting of 1,200 angry farmers from Massachusetts. They caused major chaos in this state. On December 26, 1786 Daniel Shays and the rebels revolted in Springfield, Massachusetts insisting that the state legislature address their issues, such as lack of money.

Read More
148 Words | 1 Pages

Shays’ Rebellion was a pivotal moment in American history. Shays’ Rebellion, led by Daniel Shays, was an armed rebellion that took place from August of 1786 until early 1787, starting in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shays, a Revolutionary War veteran, was able to gather 1,500 farmers who all thought the same thing: taxes were too high and the government they had was unresponsive. By doing this, Shays was able to expose the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, which eventually led to many of the government’s leaders declaring that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate, as well as the ratification of the Constitution. In this essay, it will become clear just how important and necessary Shay's Rebellion was, and how it changed America

Read More
161 Words | 1 Pages

America had just won the revolutionary war and became a free nation. Their constitution, the Articles of Confederation had many problems. Many farmer colonists felt like America was just another form of England with high taxes and unfair laws. Eventually, the depression was so bad the colonist got fed up and started to devise a plan. Daniel Shays was the leader of planning the rebellion.

Read More
318 Words | 2 Pages

It was important for George Washington to put down the Whiskey Rebellion and enforce tax on whiskey because the rebellion was a threat to the new republic. After Washington put down the rebellion, the new government established their position and power, hopefully discouraging future law breaking of this kind. While the US was formed on rebelling against laws that were deemed unjust, the country would not have survived if citizens felt free to rebel or break every law they did not like. Further, the whiskey tax was a way for the US to gain money to help pay debts from the Revolution, which were important to repay in order to secure the country’s economic survival long term. The greatest factor that convinced colonists to pay their taxes was

Read More
1740 Words | 7 Pages

How Did the Whiskey Rebellion Affect the Country? In order to understand how the Whiskey rebellion affected this country we first need to understand what our country fought for during the Revolutionary War. We all know the war was for independence, but that was not the entire reasoning behind the war. There were three things that we fought against during the war the first was the fact that our country was being oppressed by the King. The second was tyranny, and the last was being the taxes being imposed on the colonies.

Read More
754 Words | 4 Pages

Washington himself, in a show of presidential authority, set out at the head of the troops to suppress the uprising. This was the first

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

This is because Shays rebellion took place because the poor farmers were fighting against the outrageous taxes which were leaving them without land and in prison with no means of supplying food for their families. In many states at the time if someone didn't have land they weren't able to vote because in the governments eyes they had no power. These taxes were taking away the farmers land which then also took away their right to vote which left them powerless and made their options pointless. Poor farmers ended up in jail which left their families out on the streets begging for money and a means to survive. Just like the whiskey rebellion farmers were left without a way to supply for their family because the demand of whiskey was way down after the government increase the tax by 25%.

Read More
887 Words | 4 Pages

This lead to a disparity of wealth throughout the states that Congress could not correct. This economic depression also contributed to the Massachusetts farmers’ revolt. Not only could they barely afford to pay off debt using the little money gained from the war, they also had to face financial hardship. This fueled the rebellion, which ultimately resulted Shays leading a group of 2,200 men to unsuccessfully raid a federal arsenal. Through these three issues, it was clear to many people of the time that the US direly needed a strong federal government.

Read More
1217 Words | 5 Pages

However, this act was very controversial as many southerners and farmers were angry over the tax. In 1794, farmers were angry over the Whiskey Tax and were threatening revolution. Washington and the government responded to the farmers by saying they would enforce the Constitution to stop the rebellions and show they will no longer be walked over. In the previous Shays Rebellion, the Federal Government could not stand up and stop the rebellion. Washington used force and his military to stop the revolt, which showed the improved

Read More
274 Words | 2 Pages

The Whiskey Rebellion: Effects On History The Whiskey Rebellion was one of the first accomplishment over a period of time taken to get the United States out of debt after the Revolution. (Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History) states that “Life on the western frontier was very difficult during this period; much of the area was simultaneously claimed by both Great Britain and Spain, and settlers were also threatened by Indian wars”. The Whiskey Rebellion was caused by Alexander Hamilton who convinced congress to pass a tax on the farmers main crop Whiskey! Hamilton’s intention was to help compile the power of the new government along with bringing down the national dept.

Read More
1034 Words | 5 Pages

Shay’s Rebellions follow the Revolutionary war and how the US fell into a economic crisis, There were a lot of tension due to farmers losing their property to to debt collectors. In January 1787, him and his force were sent to a federal armory at Springfield but it failed due the artillery fire and how it lead to 4 people being killed and 20 people being wounded. Rebellion doesn’t always end up peaceful and it can also show no improvement at.

Read More
73 Words | 1 Pages

10) The Whiskey Rebellion was significant because it showed that the government was willing and able to suppress oppositions with military force. The rebellion was a protest to Hamilton’s excise tax on spirits. The tax had cut demand for the corn whiskey the farmers distilled and bartered. Protestors waved banners that proclaimed the French revolution slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” In response President Washington rallied a militia of 12,000 troops and dispersed the rebels.

Read More
1553 Words | 7 Pages

Ironically, western Virginians experienced a period of significant prosperity and growth in the years following the Whiskey Rebellion. Numerous anti-excise leaders in the western counties were able to return to their state and local government positions, some even using the insurrection to advance their political influence. Economically, in the aftermath of the insurrection, the lasting military presence in western Virginia boosted the local economy, bringing in more much-needed banknotes. Barksdale notes, “The soldiers’ demand for supplies and propensity to consume large quantities of Virginia whiskey assumed that money flowed into the burgeoning regional economy.” It was ironic that the soldiers sent to enforce the loathsome whiskey tax stimulated

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

Daniel Shays, an american soldier and farmer organized over a thousand other farmers that followed him on a march to the Springfield Armory in attempt to prevent the Massachusetts Supreme Court from meeting. Even though Shays was defeated by the militia, the rebellion made it known that state and national governments could not stop violence from happening. An immediate effect of this rebellion was the Annapolis Convention. Shays’ Rebellion lead to the Annapolis Convention because a change needed to be made to the Articles to reduce sectional and political violence in America. While Shays’ Rebellion was not successful in its original purpose, it made the framers aware that a change needed to be made in order to further improve the

Read More
992 Words | 4 Pages

After the American Revolution the economy of the newly founded United States was very similar to the economy of the colonies beforehand. Not much had changed on the economic front of the new country formed after the Revolutionary War. Before the Revolution the British colonists were being taxed on purchased goods after the French and Indian War. The Whiskey Rebellion was a very clear sign that the American Revolution was not very revolutionary. The American citizens were still being taxed on on goods because of the wars that they had started that were supposed to benefit them.

Read More

More about Causes And Effects Of The Whiskey Rebellion

Related Topics

Open Document