Existing comment:
President Leads Militia
In 1791, Congress passed an excise tax on distilled spirits. The tax hit small western whiskey-producing farmers especially hard. It cut into their profits and weakened their ability to compete against larger producers.
Already distrustful of national authority. the farmers openly rebelled. By 1794, protests in western Pennsylvania turned increasingly violent. Determined to enforce the law, Washington led 13,000 militiamen westward. This show of force convinced the rebels to disband, reinforcing the supremacy of the federal government. |