Whiskey Rebellion Research Paper

379 Words2 Pages
Whiskey Rebellion

Tax. A small word, but a major impact on society. About 20 years after the revolutionary war had begun, President George Washington was faced with a mini revolution of his own. This time from his own citizens. Similar to the previous war, the core problem revolved around taxes. In 1791, Congress enacted the first internal revenue tax. This tax was aiming at whiskey production. At the time, whiskey was one of the most popular drinks, and although the tax was targeting whiskey, it included all hard liquors. Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, originally proposed the tax in means to raise money for the $45 million Revolutionary War debt. He realized that if the government was going to be self-supporting and operative,